Search - Gatsbys American Dream :: Ribbons & Sugar

Brilliant.

Luke Rounda | Lawrence, KS | 04/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gatsby's latest, "Volcano," has already been described as a little bit of everything: post-punk, prog, alt-country, dream pop. "Ribbons and Sugar" is no worse. The playing is tight, focused, and creative -- melodic but edgy in the tradition of the very best punk bands, and stylistically the instrumentation is both textured and full of variety.



The songwriting is head and shoulders above 99% of what you're likely to hear anywhere else, in Gatsby's genre (whatever that may be) or elsewhere. Each song here is a short punky blast of guitar rock that has an uncanny ability to seamlessly metamorphosize through various stages of development in the blink of an eye. Far from standard "verse-chorus-verse" fare, the songs on "Ribbons and Sugar" are truly unpredictable in their form and structure. Hearing a riff used more than once in different sections of a Gatsby's song is about as rare as a screen door on a submarine sandwich. Far from being fodder for comparisons to Zappa or Mr. Bungle, the transitions are somehow perfect and don't disrupt the flow of the tunes at all.



Guitarists everywhere rejoice upon hearing this album. If the revved-up punk of the lead-off track "We're Not Orphans" doesn't knock you down, then the rabid, pedal-delayed faux slide guitar riffage on "Apparition" will. When these guys do write a more straightforward pop ditty, such as on the totally stripped-down, sugar-in-the-gas-tank balladry of "The Horse You Rode In On," the results are equally stunning.



There is no concept of verse or chorus in Gatsby's music, just a concept of what sounds good: movement. And trust me -- whether you're the type who wants something to chill out to outside on a summer day, the type who plays guitar like a religion and worships axes like holy crosses, or someone who just wants to get down and dance... Gatsby's American Dream WILL make you move. Get it, and get "Volcano," too."

My favorite band

Alexander J. O'farrell | Bellevue, WA | 12/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Probably my favorite record by Gatsby's out of their 3 records released so far. Although, I'm dying for a new full-length (look for their new release in 2005 from Fearless Records) after playing this cd a bazillion times. I couldn't disagree more with that Derek guy though



"It seems as if at some point, every punk band is going to have their breakthrough, and I've been surprised since July 2003 that it hasn't happened yet. This cd was great when I bought it in July and it is still great now in February, along with their first release which sounds like a mere rookie version of this cd (thats a good thing). This band appeals to emo lovers with his singing style and creative lyrics but also a little to pop punk lovers, if poppy kids can get used to his voice and their erractic yet so talented song changes. This is a must for guitar lovers, this cd and their debut why we fight. Just like Fallout Boy, Story of the Year, even Rancid and AFI who all just got on MTV, Gatsby's will eventually as well. But for now, the album is amazing. "



Ugh, don't even staple this group as emo or pop-punk, if you've met the actual guys and talked to them, they're nothing close to emo/pop-punk, the closest to emo pop punk is their Why We Fight record, which even still had a cool Propagandi feel to it that made it stick out. Gatsby's has always had a distinctive sound to them, through out their albums, and they're influencing and being copied by sooo many local bands here.



I hope they don't end up on MTV, or if they do, I hope they don't change their awesome sound. I can't wait for the full-length.



Buy all their cd's, support this awesome group. They deserve it!"

Best band ever!

D. Arrington | houston, tx | 10/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i really enjoyed this cd! i really love the band! they are one of the best out there in my opinion, i think that if you like music because of the lyrics and reality then you will definitely enjoy this cd!"