Some days I go way back into the catalog and remember some really oldies but goodies. Remember Stabbing Westward? I'm actually surprised I haven't reviewed these guys sooner. It was probably around a year ago that I randomly heard a song on the radio - and it took me straight back to 1996. I eerily recall having a small Stabbing Westward sticker on my middle school agenda (aka a planner, just a fancier name). I thought, jeez, I should pick up an album. I moseyed over to Best Buy and picked up their 'Essentials' album for like 6 bucks or something. These guys are a Chicago based band that formed in 1985, but didn't start actually recording music until the 90's. I just talked about Lemmy and his distinct voice, well, how about a shoutout for Chris Hall for SW here. Sit back and listen to this today. And his vocal is always that same grizzled, and deep sound - no matter how loud or soft he sings. It's really quite amazing. And lyrically, most of their songs that I know seem to be dealing with loss in a relationship. And some of the arrangements (like on What Do I Have To Do?) are so eery and entrancing. It's like the whole thing is mounting to some amazing apex that never really happens. Which is fitting for this super dark, haunting style. I don't think I've ever listened to this album start to finish - and I have to say, I'm impressed. It's almost NIN quality - but I won't go quite that far. Very worth looking at today. Let me know what you think.
TRACK LISTING:
1. I Don't Believe
2. Shame
3. What Do I Have to Do?
4. Why
5. Inside You
6. Falls Apart
7. So Wrong
8. Crushing Me
9. Sleep
10. Slipping Away
Listen To Samples
Top 3 Tracks:
1. What Do I Have To Do?
2. Shame
3. So Wrong
FINAL RATING:
4 out of 5 stars
i can't believe i don't own this album. i definitely thought i would have owned this by now. it's so good.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. I have all the songs off of it, but not the actual album. I think that still counts.
ReplyDelete