The 'Daily' cleans out the CD bin

If you have ever taken a walk into the Daily office, you probably have noticed, or tripped over, three large mail bins full of CDs and promotional material. This is the Arts department's black hole of solicited material. Every day, we receive tons of CDs, movie promo DVDs, a book or two, and lots of other weird stuff.

Since we would not put any of our readers through the painful experience of having to read reviews of ALL this hit-or-miss material, most of it ends up in the bins (for good reason). Yet, despite the abundance of awful material, there are some diamonds in the rough nestled inside the bountiful bins. It is simply a matter of having the patience -- no, the courage -- to sit through the duds in order to find the occasional dandy.

Now that we have the patience and, of course, the courage, we have ventured through this eclectic collection of mostly bad music to bring you...the Mystic River...eh-hem, the Daily Arts cleanup.



Title: Problematic

>Artist: The Brett Rosenberg Problem

Label: Sodapop Records

Poppy when not screaming, rocking when not wailing, the Brett Rosenberg Problem is a tad schizophrenic. But as the singer relates another tale, you see the real problem with Problematic -- it's not that exceptional.

It's not exceptionally bad (which would make writing this review a lot easier) nor is it exceptionally good. The lyrics aren't awful but aren't especially evocative and often fade into the background like so much white noise. It's a CD you can put on and not remember is playing until there's an eerie silence in the room. Unfortunately for The Brett Rosenberg Problem, their identity crisis (classic rock/pop/emo) forces them into the milieu of alt-rock bands.



Title: What it is to Burn

>Artist: Finch

Label: Drive Thru Records

The question that immediately pops into my head after hearing this first verse of "New Beginnings" by Finch is "Who do they sound like?" The vocals, the breakdowns, the screaming all seem somehow familiar. Aurally, the band sounds like Aaron from Good Charlotte fell into a vat of nuclear waste with Linkin Park and somehow fused into some punk/pop/screamo mutant.

The band makes sure to emphasize the screaming part making you want to hug the lead singer before duct taping his mouth shut (I'm not a screamo fan to say the least). But, if you dig suburban angst, Finch does it better than most with lyrics that approach poignant -- or at least give stupidity a wide berth.



Title: Locust Years

>Artist: Blue Horizon

Label: Godeye Records

It's not often that the Daily office receives a CD promo that isn't full of angst-ridden wails and blasting electric guitar. On that note, Blue Horizon's new album, "Locust Years," was a pleasure (and a relief) to listen to.

Jason Imbesi and Elizabeth Stephan have charming voices that blend like the shades of Kentucky blue grass. The second song, "Cocoon", and the fourth, "Living in Dream," feature Stephan's deep, honey-smooth undulations as well as the group's catchy musicality. From the rather sentimental liner notes, I suppose the CD is directed more toward listeners who favor thoughtful lyrics over innovative or particularly exciting tunes.



Title: Let

>Artist:Natalie Flanagan

Label: One Way Productions

The cover photo of Natalie Flanagan on this album tells you exactly what she's going to sound like -- a throaty, resonating voice that matches the strong jaw and straight, no-nonsense brown hair.

The way she nonchalantly trails off at the end of her lines is reminiscent of Dylan. In sweet contrast to her vocal style, however, the music is as smooth and rolling as the hills of West Virginia.

My favorite song on the album is "Margot's Arms", which exemplifies both of these characteristics. The first song, "Grace Under Pressure", seems to convince itself this line has not become clich?©, but I like the artful Christian imagery.

I recommend this album for driving but do not think it is worth following the artist into "a place where aching melancholy is tempered with courage and tenderness", as David Wildman suggests in the liner notes. Listening to the music is adequate.