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The Verve Pipe's new CD redefines the band

karen mulhern | Worcester Ma. | 12/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The self titled, The Verve Pipe, is a study in the redefinition of a band. Where Villains had a consistent, if somewhat overproduced sound, The Verve Pipe, does not. Each song varies in styling, tempo, and poetic appeal, yet all share a central theme of lessons learned the hard way. Nowhere is this more evident than in F-word,an examination of post Freshmen self doubt and the difficulty in moving on. Vander Ark's description of moshing ("assault disguised as dancing") and the metaphor that follows ("so part the wave and drop the dead as driftwood surfer") make for powerful imagery. In a similar but more upbeat way, Hero is a self deprecating look at reconciling who we are with who we think we are. The hard-driving Supergig is an expose of fear and the fences thrown up to keep it at bay. "We used to care, we don't anymore," and the repetitive "there's not a missing link" are said defensively, not as statements of fact. And what of love and relationships? In Headlines they're strictly physical but the narrator is taken to task for being superficial. In the end he realizes "my all was just medium." Television explores the sadistic way we wallow in pity when we know we should move past the pain. "Turn it up, turn it down, tune me in, tune me out" clearly shows the quandary. But sometimes relationships are sheer perfection, as seen in the beautifully poetic Kiss Me Idle. With angelic vocals and a dreamlike melody, Vander Ark sings ,"so close your eyes and catch your breath and i will wait right here." He describes a love so perfect, even a casual listener would be impressed. The band has described The Verve Pipe as the "record of our lives." With candor, emotion and incredible songwriting, the band has shared with us their growth not only as musicians but as people. In She Loves Everybody Donny wrote, "flashing lights, the music's loud, I'm questioning if this is destiny." Without question, this eclectic mix of songs is certainly that and more."

Worth it for Verve Pipe fans...otherwise, I'd think twice

karen mulhern | 07/28/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What: the follow up to the Verve Pipe's excellent Villains album.Style: The same grungy-but-harmonious guitars and kicking drums, but with a new element of buzzy keyboards and drum machines. Pros: flows well. Most of the songs segue together, giving the album a feel of being an integrated whole, as opposed to merely a loose collection of songs. The keyboards add another dimension of the sound to the mix (they were present in Villains, for example the organ in "Photograph" and the piano in "Cattle", but were always very peripheral to the guitars). Cons: less variance than Villains. Most of the songs are love songs of some form or another, usually very upbeat (with the notable exception of "Generations" and "The F Word"). Bottom line: Verve Pipe fans would probably enjoy this CD, even if it isn't the 90s' Dark Side of the Moon. People who just liked "The Freshmen", though, probably won't give this one much time in the CD tray."

The Verve Pipe Rocks!

mortdog19@aol.com | Michigan | 08/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Verve Pipe has released its' best album to date! Every song on this album is amazing. There is not a mediocre song on the album and I found it hard not to sing along with every song. The new self-titled CD has been the only thing I've listened to for the past week and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. The Verve Pipe has found a way to effectively mix slow songs, such as 'Kiss Me Idle' and 'Half a Mind' with rockin' songs such as 'Hero' and 'Generations.' 'Television' is awesome and anyone hearing the chorus would be unable to resist screaming it aloud with Brian Vanderark. Pick this album up! It will definitely be one of the best albums of all time for me."