8.april.2003 — 'Gravity' gets it done right. — The college punk-pop and independent label rock world is a dangerous place full of gratuitous time changes, obscure keys and pretentious lyrics, often lacking the most basic con... more »cepts of harmony and melody.
Some bands, such as The Pale, can avoid these perils, transcend its situation and release great albums. The Pale's third album, "Gravity Gets Things Done," finds Bellingham's new golden boys comfortably balancing the narrow line between intelligent punk and catchy pop.
The result is what indie rock should be: instantly catchy, familiar, yet original and increasingly rewarding with every listening experience.
"Space to Move," begins the 10-track album with an upbeat, slightly dissonant and disconnected guitar riff, a perfect introduction to the band's sound. Rhythm guitar, bass and drums join in effortless layers, almost unnoticed until Gabe Archer's captivating voice completes the melody. In this song, as well as most of the others on the album, Archer's vocals stand delicately in front of the music while pulling the textures of the band's instrumentation from the background.
The band members' six years together has served them well. They work together in a way only a skilled group of musicians can. Each flawlessly complements the other. Individual parts never compete for center stage and even discordant passages sound natural and cohesive.
Songs of frustration, confusion, longing and elation fill the album's 40 minutes. It's typical indie fare that never sounds typical, a perfect hybrid of Elliot Smith's sullen introspectiveness and Fountains of Wayne's sugary-sweet pop indulgences.
The album's third track, "How to Fit In," stands out as a tale of a confused outcast who does not fully realize he is cooler than the cool kids he wants to hang out with. Archer ends the song by asking, "But do I want to fit in with you?" deciphering in three minutes what normally takes the majority of adolescence to discover.« less
The college punk-pop and independent label rock world is a dangerous place full of gratuitous time changes, obscure keys and pretentious lyrics, often lacking the most basic concepts of harmony and melody.
Some bands, such as The Pale, can avoid these perils, transcend its situation and release great albums. The Pale's third album, "Gravity Gets Things Done," finds Bellingham's new golden boys comfortably balancing the narrow line between intelligent punk and catchy pop.
The result is what indie rock should be: instantly catchy, familiar, yet original and increasingly rewarding with every listening experience.
"Space to Move," begins the 10-track album with an upbeat, slightly dissonant and disconnected guitar riff, a perfect introduction to the band's sound. Rhythm guitar, bass and drums join in effortless layers, almost unnoticed until Gabe Archer's captivating voice completes the melody. In this song, as well as most of the others on the album, Archer's vocals stand delicately in front of the music while pulling the textures of the band's instrumentation from the background.
The band members' six years together has served them well. They work together in a way only a skilled group of musicians can. Each flawlessly complements the other. Individual parts never compete for center stage and even discordant passages sound natural and cohesive.
Songs of frustration, confusion, longing and elation fill the album's 40 minutes. It's typical indie fare that never sounds typical, a perfect hybrid of Elliot Smith's sullen introspectiveness and Fountains of Wayne's sugary-sweet pop indulgences.
The album's third track, "How to Fit In," stands out as a tale of a confused outcast who does not fully realize he is cooler than the cool kids he wants to hang out with. Archer ends the song by asking, "But do I want to fit in with you?" deciphering in three minutes what normally takes the majority of adolescence to discover.
CD Reviews
Palatable catchy rock
E. A Solinas | MD USA | 11/28/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Don't expect The Pale to rock your world in their sophomore album "Gravity Gets Things Done," but expect it to sway a little. It's pretty standard indie-pop-rock, a bit on the sweet side and tempered with romantic yearnings and post-relationship misery.
It opens with the poppy "Space to Move," which kicks off by challenging a philosophical belief, but gets a bit confusing. Are they singing to a lover, or to the world in general? The tone doesn't change much with the grim guitarpop "Gravity Gets Things Done" or the horns and keyboards of "Wake Up Call."
The Pale does break form with songs like "Reason To Try," a snapping rock song with pop edges. And while "Big Dumb Smile" doesn't break too far from the indiepop mold, it has a sinister edge and disjoined instrumentation that lend it a totally different feeling. But overall, the album rests on mellow but somewhat monotonous pop music -- pleasant, but not great.
The feeling that the Pale has is... confusion. Gabe Archer sings about how "I really don't know," "I'm so confused" and "is everyone here?" In virtually every song on "Gravity Gets Things Done," there's a tone of mild confusion -- even the you-hurt-me love songs sound vague and a bit distant.
The music itself is a bit on the monotonous side -- each song is pleasant on its own, but most are in the same musical style. A little more variety would have been nice. Cam Nicklaus's guitarwork is quite good -- he can wring some solid riffs from that thing, and starts on a dime. And Greg Swineheart's drumming has a tendency to be buried under the other sounds, but it's also quite good.
Archer does have a strong voice, which smoothly glides through each of the songs, and is still strong enough to rise above the rock-ier riffs. And each song starts off strong, but becomes a bit unravelled as they go on. They do have some clever phrasing woven in ("You are the girl with the smiles and gravity/and gravity gets things done"), but also incredibly awkward phrases like "You're equipped with only minor chords disguised as excuses."
The Pale don't do too poorly on their sophomore album, "Gravity Gets Things Done." They manage a sort of sweet rock-edged indiepop, but need more variety and smoother songwriting. Maybe on the third album."
The Pale is so incredibly good I can barely move. . .
Dustin | Seattle, Wa, USA | 01/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Scrumtralescent is the only word that can describe this cd. Yes, you may be asking yourself, is that a word? The answer is no - unless you ask Will Ferrell. However, scrumtralescent would mean something along the lines of (too amazingly good to describe accurately). This cd, and band, will blow you away. Start/stop (number 12) might bring you to tears. I have seen them in concert many times, but it will never be enough. The music they create is very unique - to be honest I can't relate them to anyone else. Gabe Archer's vocals are one of a kind - and beautiful. Greg Swinehart's drumming is melodic and moving -and Cam Nicklaus's lead guitar playing is ABSOLUTELY MIND BOGGLING. And then there is Lance, the bassist, who likes to sway a lot on stage and it's kinda cool to watch him run into everybody and kick them. But when you put these guys all together, you get an amazing sound. It's just awesome. I'm telling you, these guys are going to explode soon and you will all wish only that you would have tried them out sooner - your life would have improved tenfold. Perhaps one-hundredfold. No wait, ten-thousandfold. Ok? Just get it. It will change your life. Start/stop is the best. And if you go to their website and buy their first cd, you get to see Gabe on the cover dressed up in a superman costume as a little boy. (lady's - calm down)."
There is no denying this band or this record.
Derick Johnson | Chicago, IL | 02/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These guys are true indie pop, and if you were to compare them to someone, it would be the Pernice Brothers, maybe Ben Folds. But that's not important. The important thing here is that you understand that this is the next true band, with an outstanding record here and an unbelievable live set to match. This band has the kind of live show that could draw comparisons to the first couple feverish U2 tours. This is the next big thing, for sure. I can honestly say that these guys will continue to impress people long after these comparisons die down... all that we'll have left is one of the best new bands in America, the one that should eventually overshadow Coldplay, because they are simply the best songsmiths around. Just you wait... 10 years from now you'll regret not getting in on this with such a great record, Gravity Gets Things Done."
Can't.....stop.....listening......
Sarah Jayne | Seattle, WA | 09/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I went to the Puyallup Fair last nite for a Maroon 5 concert. I had never even heard of the opening act,The Pale. When they started playing I was in awe. This is a fantastic band with a very unique sound. The lyrics are intelligent and the music is very catchy. I have quite a few CD's and not one of them is similar at all. I found myself purchasing both CD's of the opening act afterwards. These guys are one hot band! I suggest you give them a try and give your ears a treat. They are gonna explode soon and be red hot! I know my copy of this CD won't be leaving the CD for quite some time. Not to mention, the singer is pretty cute ;)"
Spectaculorisity
Nate Ritter | Bellingham, WA | 04/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These guys rock like nobody else does. I've heard their sound from the days of their first tape (yes, I said tape, and I mean cassette). They've matured and are on their way up the charts. Recently reviewed by Rolling Stone, Spin, and hit #1 on the request at The End (107.7FM in Seattle), you know they have something going. Give them a try and you won't go back to anything else.... kinda like cheeze wiz."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1