Review Summary: How a band so unknown can be this good is beyond me
Gatsby's American Dream are one of those bands which don't get enough credit for the work they do. In 2005, this album wowed critics with its unusual time signatures so good that they could make The Dillinger Escape Plan and Amia Venera Landscape stand and applaud, and its beautiful lyrics. Yet, they are still a relatively unknown band. It may due to issues with the record labels that asked them to dumb down their music but these guys really don't seem to be bothered by this at all. So after letting of some steam towards the record labels with their In The Land Of Lost Monsters EP, they settled at Fearless Records and made Volcano.
A few things you will notice about this album you should know that this is a concept album themed around human emotions and their similarities to a Volcano. With this concept, they also explore the story of the Roman City Pompeii that was sadly lost to a volcanic eruption. Also that the band themselves are quite into literature and throughtout this album contain many references to novels such as Ender's Game, The Lord of the Flies and The Wizard of Earthsea so if you have read those books you may get even more from this album.
Theatre is actually quite a straight forward song yet to me doesn't reach what Gatsby's American Dream are capable of, it has quite a simple song structure yet is musically sound. It reminds me of Glassjaw's Cosmpolitian Bloodloss, simple structure for it to be enjoyed by the masses yet maintains the bands high standard of music. Obsecure comparisons aside it isn't their strongest song on here by far and is mostly skipped by me.
To me, Pompeii is where the album truly starts as it feels like a true Gatsby song. Unique structure, incredible lyrics which do support the albums concept and maintains their incredibly high standards of musicianship. But what makes this so good is that it keeps it momentum going through to the next song.
The Guilt Engine feels like the perfect follow up to Pompeii and has some of the best lyrics of their career. While Nick Newsham while he doesn't have the world's most compelling voice, delivers his lines with enough intent and passion to make it all flow smoothly.
The Giant's Drink which has is another more structured song by them but never gets repetitive because of the superb time signatures and lyrics that mix it up enough which make it work well.
Fable however feels like Theatre which is to say while there is nothing about the song that is a deal breaker, doesn't maintain the high standards that the three previous songs have set forward. It has a fairly stable song structure but doesn't really do anything interesting enough to make you want to come back for more.
However, Shhhhhh!!!!! I'm Listening To Reason brings the album back on track. Definately Gatsby at their best. Funky bass and drums help drive it along until along comes a melodic breakdown and unusual chanting to finish the song off. Some may call this unfocused, but I call it variety. One the albums many highlights.
Another noteworthy song being The Hunter. Has the continuation of the bands sound reaching the peak of their genre. Drums and guitar are spectacular here and feels like Pompeii 2 which is not a band thing at all. But all this doesn't come close to the awesomeness that is Speaker Of The Dead.
A beautiful piano intro sets the scene nicely and has one of the best performances of Nick's career lyrically speaking. Everyone else is doing amazingly to keep the mood going and maintains the tone the piano intro started. All which accumulates to a quite ambigious ending when Nick sings "But The Hearts A Volcano" that suited the song. A truly haunting yet near perfect song.
The album closes down with a remade version of The Badlands from their EP. Which one you prefer is up to you as this one is structured much differently. And finally The Loosing Of The Shadow closes the album exactly as I wanted it do. The song starts with a haunting 1 minute intro before kicking into gear. And constantly references the concept that it had been carrying strongly for the entire album. Despite a unusual ending that is left in ambiguity and confusion. The emotional roller coaster is over and you feel complete.
This my friends, is what music should be all the time, songs that freeze momentum in my opinion and a length which just elapses 33 minuted are all small tolerable letdowns. Maybe I say this because I crave more but despite that, this is still an experience that one will have to live through before they leave this planet.
Recommended Songs:
Pompeii
The Guilt Engine
Shhhhhh!!!!!! I'm Listening To Reason
The Hunter
Speaker Of The Dead
The Loosing Of The Shadow
