All CD Reviews are written by Michael Canter or Brooke Horrocks unless otherwise stated. Both write exclusively for www.jivewired.com and www.sonicjive.com. If you would like your CD reviewed please contact us at info@sonicjive.com and thank you for reading.
Release Date: 30-September-2009
Genre: Rock/Pop/Happy Hardcore
Format: CD
SonicJive: http://www.sonicjive.com/merrill
Publisher: Synergy Music LLC
Total Time: 39:01
Review Date: 29-December-2009
Track Listing:
01. Alive 3:35
02. The First Time 3:50
03. Little Miss Pretentious 3:31
04. It's U 3:33
05. Walk Alone 5:14
06. Just Do 4:12
07. Another Yesterday 3:30
08. Let Me Go 3:38
09. The One Thing 3:59
10. Save Me 3:59
Review:
Merrill's "A Beautiful Disaster" is about as distinct as they come. The album is an open-ended story of love and loss, coping with the residuals of success and failure, and the process of moving on to awe-inspiring heights. It's unmistakably straightforward, and there aren't many surprises behind the scenes; Merrill tells it like it is and the storyline unravels without hesitation. The music functions similarly by creating a strong base for the vocals and moves through its musical landscape with great efficiency and skill. Together these forces work flawlessly to craft a balanced album of noteworthy accomplishment and surely merits some sort of formal discussion.
Based out of Portland, Oregon, Merrill is the song-based project of Chris Merrill and Robert Finn. The band released their debut CD "Evolutions" in 2008 and the follow-up is a more polished and succinctly arranged release that manifests itself through catchy musical hooks and indelible melodies. Merrill retains a strong unity of sound all the way through, and there is a pronounced radio-friendly demeanor to these compositions. Lead vocalist Chris Merrill figures more prominently in the production of this release, seemingly overtaking his accompaniment or at least drawing even with it, and the credit goes to producers Kevin Hahn, Michael Merrill and Anders T. Ramstad. Such subtle changes like pushing the lead vocals slightly forward makes "A Beautiful Disaster" an impressive follow-up. The end result is an album that sounds louder and fuller, boasting a full-band sound and a collaborative dynamic.
Standout songs on the CD include "Alive", "The First Time" and "Another Yesterday". "It's U" has the kind of radio-friendly appeal that would play well as a backdrop to a sports highlights montage. When I hear it I visualize Super Bowl post-game highlights. Perhaps someone should get this song in the hands of the ESPN or CBS network programming departments stat, or maybe the band should go ahead and just create a football highlights video to accompany the song. Personal favorites include "The One Thing" and the slightly more down-tempo numbers "Walk Alone" and "Save Me". On these songs the arrangements focus squarely on the lead vocal/lead guitar interplay and despite the subjacent feel the band manages to maintain that radio-friendly sound.
It is particularly appealing to see the successful evolution of a band as a whole as well as its developing maturation in the recording studio. "A Beautiful Disaster" is a big step forward for Merrill. On "Evolution", I felt at times that the band tended to sound a bit too much like Nickelback. Thanks to some changes in production and arrangement, "A Beautiful Disaster" elevates the band to the next level. The writing, arrangement, and pacing is deliberate enough to create a sensible package yet dynamic and fresh enough to sound inviting. And, best, it leaves you wanting more. There's so much promise here that an even more singular statement is sure to follow.
Michael Canter
--www.sonicjive.com
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