•
Rating: And the chrysalis became a beautiful butterfly...
With their second album, from 2005, Open Hand makes an important leap in quality in terms of style and composition. Born from a troubled creation process, the album was released after a period of stagnation for the band and a lineup change, which led to the inclusion of drummer-singer Paxton Pryor and guitarist Sean Woods in place of Alex Rodriguez and Beau Burchell.
In "You And Me," punk rock and emo core, which were the hallmarks of "The Dream," are mixed with elements of '70s rock, metal, stoner rock, and pop melody. The Hollywood band sheds its skin, starting from what were the best episodes of their debut, such as "The Dream," "In Your Eyes," and "6/26," and takes a step forward, opening their music to a thousand influences. The sound becomes warmer, like Justin Isham's voice, in some cases almost soulful, the production more polished and attentive to the finest details, the compositional spectrum broader and more nuanced. Above all, "You And Me" contains memorable songs, with melodies that hit straight to the heart and irresistible rhythms.
The overall quality of the work is astonishing and confirms one of the main rules of the music business, whereby the most difficult situations for artists result in their best records. Pryor's decisive contribution is his "sophisticated" rock style, which guides the quartet's music to broader horizons. Additionally, his voice adds to Isham's magnificent one, providing a foundation for further female vocal additions, giving the songs greater originality.
The first track immediately shows what the four are made of: "Pure Concentrated Evil," a mix of stoner, rock, and melody that in just a minute and a half already sets a precise and classy standard. After the initial onslaught, things calm down a bit: here comes "Her Song," a sinuous piece with a seventies bass in the foreground, deeply black in spirit, and with a hint of Doors-like flavor. Barely time to wake from hypnosis and here comes the main track, "Tough Girl." Captivating, elemental, and a superb reworking of the three chords on which all rock'n'roll is based. Try to stay still while listening: it's impossible! The blend of male and female voices is spectacular, and the melody is already a classic. A song that could be listened to a hundred times without tiring. At the end, you can even hear a cheering audience, but the delights are not over. A distant distorted guitar introduces the splendid "You And Me," the masterpiece of the album. A sturdy pace and superb melody, even if a veil of sadness covers our faces.
"Tough Guy," the heterozygous twin of "Tough Girl," helps us recover from the emotion with its engaging rhythm and introduces us to the rest of the album. The trio faced is however the heart of the album with the two twin tracks "Tough Girl" and "Tough Guy" interconnected rightly through "You And Me," when even the choice of titles is not accidental. "Jaded" is a brief and evocative piece that takes us to a sort of suspended state, thanks to its beautiful vocal tail. The songs begin to alternate like pieces of a small puzzle: the musical masculinity of "The Ambush," "Take No Action," and "Waiting For Kathy," where paradoxically the female voices provide the greatest energy, the melancholic splendor of "Crooked Crown," the Seattle-like echoes of "The Kaleidoscope."
The only sour note is also perhaps the most experimental track of the album: "Newspeak." Its electro-space suspension unfortunately does not balance a chorus that too closely recalls that of "I Was Made For Loving You" by Kiss, certainly not one of the noblest citations one could make. Another small flaw is the brevity of many tracks, leaving the listener with a slight sense of incompleteness. The speed then gives way to melancholy with the wonderful "Trench Warfare," an absolute masterpiece in the guise of an intimate, delicate, and dreamy rock ballad. The album closes with the hardest rock track Open Hand could have written, "Hard Night," where the energy and virtuosity of the individual musicians find the right outlet. But it doesn't end here as the band offers us an additional gift as a bonus track: "Elevators," a sweet and warm rock ballad introduced by the verses of some seagulls.
The album marks the definitive maturation of a band that will surely make a name for itself, still young but already the author of a small great masterpiece.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Tough Girl (02:54)
Well I think it's fine,
Watching summer rain,
Taking a ride on a cosmic train
You've been killing time,
Wasting all your days,
But you can get what you want,
When you want it,
With your sexy ways.
Don't keep me waiting too long,
We're gonna to make it tonight,
You'll never bring me down,
And I'm feeling ok,
You'll never bring me down.
Well it's ok, and you're ok,
Cause I'm with you,
Well it's ok, and we're ok,
Cause I'm with you,
I'm feeling good when I'm rolling down the boulevard,
I'm feeling good when I got you there in my arms,
I'll never know what it takes for you to feel this free,
You never know all the feelings that you're giving to me.
We're gonna to make it tonight,
You'll never bring me down,
And I'm feeling ok,
You'll never bring me down,
Sometimes I want to go and run away,
But something about your love just makes me stay.
Oh well you're so sweet when you're talking to me,
Oh well you're so sweet when you're talking to me,
You don't know I know by now,
You don't know I know by now... by now.
We're going to make it tonight,
You'll never bring me down,
And I'm feeling ok,
You'll never bring me down,
(By now... by now...)
09 Newspeak (02:15)
They will grab you with their open hands,
Reaching for a chance to expand their lies,
Keep your head down,
Mind yourself,
Make sure that you keep all your thoughts inside.
They speak their truth out telling lies,
Forcing us all down until we see their ways,
The sations on, let's prepare to operate,
Let's watch the world go up in flames.
Turn on ...Burn out.
Turned on ... Burned out.
Here they come,
They're rushing in now,
Here to save the day.
I gave them my precise location.
I hope they're on the way.
They will grab you with their open hands,
Reaching for a chance to expand their lies,
Keep your head down,
Mind yourself,
Make sure that you keep all your thoughts inside,
They speak their truth out telling lies,
Forcing us all down until we see their ways,
The sations on, let's prepare to operate,
Let's watch the world go up in flames.
Turn on ...Burn out.
Turned on ... Burned out.
Here they come,
They're rushing in now,
Here to save the day.
I gave them my precise location.
I hope they're on the way.
Why should I go on?
10 Crooked Crown (03:32)
If I could find a cure for your disease,
I'd keep it to myself and oversleep.
And I would brush it slowly through your hair.
Don't despair,
And I could sell your manuscript away.
Shatter to the lowest bid today
Or toss it down the stairs into your yard, to discard.
You are not a mystery,
More a tragic comedy,
The next day you rise (x4)
Hold me down, I'm your clown.
You refuse to wear your crooked crown.
But when she cries at night,
Goals are in her sight,
But she won't set it out or get it done,
It just keeps her broken down
She's trapped inside tensions from her life,
She can't get around, get around,
I don't see you breaking down.
Not right...I'm right.
Goals are in her sight,
But she won't set it out or get it done,
It just keeps her broken down,
She's trapped inside tensions from her life,
She can't get around, get around
I don't see you breaking down,
Not right...I'm right,
The next day your rise (x4)
13 Trench Warfare (03:41)
We've been pinned down,
I've just shot my last round,
I want to run and hide,
It might save our lives,
Is this the way we will spend our last days?
If I have to die, just don't ask why.
I see right through you, your going down.
Nothing's in the way.
I don't need to see your face.
The writings on the wall,
my eyes wide open.
It will take some time for me to clear my mind.
There will come a day, it might be just fine.
Is this the way we will spend our last days?
If i have to die just don't ask why.
I see right through you your going down.
Nothings in the way,
I don't need to see your face,
The writings on the wall,
My eyes wide open,
Your life means so much can't you see?
So far when I feel let down your always there for me.
Your always there for me.
Loading comments slowly
