Wise Up!Artist: Hard Lessons, TheGenre: Rock Publisher: Zach Shipps and the Hard Lessons Released: April 11, 2006 |
A Review by Kim Lumpkin
01/17/2007
The EP begins with a bouncy rock shuffle, "Bamboo", a warning about thinking you're "all that" with lyrics that walk the fine line between vague and intriguing ("You're bending and you're swaying like some bamboo/But you're permanent just like a tattoo"). Then there is the almost minimalist "Carey Says" with lyrics like "When you say alright, it makes me feel alright". Overall, their music is quite superior to their lyrics, the exception being the strongest track, the moody, haunting ballad-like "It Bleeds", a song that seems to have come from somewhere very personal yet could be referring to any number of hurtful situations and relationships.
Two more retro rock jams, "Move to California" and "Wicked Man" round out the track list. The former is a back-and-forth long distance lovers' quarrel (featuring some cool Doors-style organ), and the latter is about how love can motivate someone to make up for what someone has suffered, even if he was not the cause; a touching message, even if the music didn't stay with me as long as the other songs on the EP did.
So, while I enjoyed Wise Up!, I didn't really understand the band's appeal until I caught some live clips of them (they are one of the most popular and critically praised live acts in the Detroit area). Luckily their shows seem to have gotten some decent coverage on the ‘Net; seeing them performing live really shows what they can do, and both they and the audience look like they're having a damn good time. Their music is solid, but this is a band that can instantly connect with its audience with loud, playful, controlled chaos that really should be experienced live to be fully appreciated.
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