Search - Rustic Overtones :: Viva Nueva

Very original, very funky.. overall, just great.

mcstallard | manch, NH | 10/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of rustic overtones for quite some time, just based on their radio play on WCYY out of portland, their hometown. I recently picked up viva nueva at a show ( a chili fest, actually.. lol) and was pleasantly surprised to find that a couple of their older songs (check and gas on skin) were on the album. God, theres so much you could say about this album... its a damned shame that more people will probably never own it just because they're not more mainstream. It's honestly one of the greatest albums ive ever bought; their mix of funk, jazz, hard rock and hip-hop beats is just amazing, and the david bowie track (sector z) is absolutely incredible. The standout (aka, "odd") track here is definitely "baby blue", but not because its bad; its a great, light jazzy little number thats no more than a gruff voice away from elevator music (but in a good way.. trust me!). If i could sum this all up in a few words, they would be BUY THIS ALBUM. Its smart enough for a critic, and danceable enough for a pop fan, and all around great. Goes great with chili, too."

You'll love it!

leahm@cisunix.unh.edu | Montreal, QC Canada | 07/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an album that you'll never get tired of. It has elements of rock, jazz, funk, salsa, blues and hip hop, among others. Rustic Overtones manage to pack hard core rock, soft jazzy ballads, and other undefineable songs onto one album making this probably the most diverse band I've ever heard. This album has not left my CD player since I bought it over a month ago."

A talented band...but definitely not for everyone...

Logos | San Mateo, CA USA | 07/16/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While browsing through the music sampling section of my local Tower Records store, I came upon this young band from Maine. What really hooked me in was the way the band fused old jazz sounds with modern keyboards and modern ska influences (the use of horns, etc.) I really didn't expect to like this CD as much as I actually do, but I'll try to explain this as best as I can. However, this band certainly isn't for everyone, some of the musical styles might not go over too well with those who aren't big jazz fans or are not fans of upbeat, light jazz rock. As for the album, it starts off well enough with the upbeat (and rather uplifting) "C'mon." This song is probably one of the best on the album actually. With lyrics like: "If I try, I'm halfway to triumph," and "I'm alive and I'm halfway to dying." As you can see these two lyrical selections show a bizarre contrast in the choice of words. Two tracks later, you can here my personal favorite song on the album; "Love Underground." This one isn't as good lyrically as is "C'mon" however the music on this one is incredible, fusing old ska and jazz beats with modern musical concepts (such as the [what I like to call] vocal build-up [this is used again on the album at several points].) The fun of this song is just through the roof. Following this is the absolutely incredible "Hardest Way Possible." This song features much of the ska-influence that I mentioned in my first paragraph. But, like the whole of the album, this song also features alot of modern influences. The lyrics in this song are much better then many of the other songs (which at times make very little sense.) If you like musical experimentation, or you're just into jazz-rock, ska, or other similiar musical categories you'll really like this band. If not, you might be questioning yourself as to why you ever bought the album in the first place. However, as much as I liked this album, I often find myself skipping a few tracks on this album (hence only four stars) despite the many other great songs that you can hear on "Viva Nueva!" This is defintely one to pick up though. (P.S. Listen carefully in Track 9 ["Sector Z"] for David Bowie's voice working with the refrain, his influence on this song is quite evident...) 3 1/2 - 4 Stars"