Review Summary: Build me up, tear me down, like a skyscraper. Thanks a bunch Thomas.
On the face of it all, the
99 Songs of Revolution scheme seemed like Streetlight were on to yet another winner; the fresh and invigorating energy of Kalnoky and co. propelled back into songs that the group found influential themselves, distributed to fans who would already know the words. It sounded like a master plan, four Streetlight Manifesto related bands, two volumes each – that's a hefty amount of material for fans to look forward to. Yet in reality,
99 Songs has already begun falling short of high expectations and lengthy anticipations because quite simply
Streetlight didn't write the songs. 'Obviously, what were you expecting!?' you shout, since the
99 Songs project consists entirely of covers, however
Volume: I comes as an unfortunate realisation that no other band can write music quite like Streetlight Manifesto do, and therefore it passes like a ghost and leaves us with a handful of inevitable disappointment.
Of course this is certainly not a bad cover album by any means – in fact the musicianship is still rock-solid and blows most of the ska-punk clichés out of the water, although any listener familiar with Streetlight's
Everything Goes Numb will be struck with the dichotomy of an incredibly talented band playing somewhat simple songs. This does on the other hand, mean that they can play these 'simple songs' very well indeed – "Hell" originally by the Squirrel Nut Zippers is absolutely boosted by the Manifesto's own animated spring, proving that when they find the
right song to revamp, they'll do it with a commanding finesse. The latest take on The Postal Service's endlessly-copied "Such Great Heights" also fulfils expectations, adding a refreshing breeze to the chirpy soul of the track, nevertheless for a concluding track it still only packs a passably feeble punch, a fitting end then in hindsight.
Though they can be applauded for grating a multitude of genres through the ska-punk scope (folk, punk, pop, alternative, jazz...), the end result is not always so desirable. Louis Jordan's "The Troubadour" almost comes off as cheesy for example – something that Streetlight Manifesto never were before despite their contemporaries, and the dizzying rendition of Radiohead's "Just", may seem enjoyable at first when the horns rush in alongside the chorus, but soon the idea of reverting back to the original seems much more sensible. Perhaps the disputes with their record label Victory Records have subdued this opening release, anchoring the group with fatigue - Kalnoky even wanders carelessly out of tune at times (wasn’t he a self-proclaimed perfectionist once?).
There's no denying it,
99 Songs of Revolution: Volume I is as harmless as the next cover album, providing a minor satisfaction throughout its duration, but barely leaving a melody engraved in the memory. Though if the promising moments, "Hell", "Birds Flying Away", "Such Great Heights", are anything to go by, then the avid Streetlight fan will optimistically have something to look forward to come the release of the subsequent volumes, providing the group choose suitable songs to resuscitate. It seems silly that they have nearly abandoned their greatest asset – their complex and intriguing musical style in favour for what every other band can already do. Fortunately for Streetlight Manifesto, their genuine and dedicated fanbase will likely see them through any of the upcoming volumes, (dare I say it) regardless of their quality, but cover songs will always raise a few eyebrows, and every once in a while there'll be a fan who just whispers "I liked it better when you were you".
