1997 - On the Run
May. 31st, 2008 01:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urgencytobleed1997
On the Run
On the Run
One glance at the cover of their sophomore release, On the Run, will tell you exactly how much 1997 has changed and evolved as a band since their debut. The cover of that album, last year's A Better View of the Rising Moon, features a drawing of a cozy little house settled amongst abstract doodles of flowers and stars. It is reminiscent of a child's artwork - bright, colorful, vibrant - and serves as a good indication of the music inside: catchy, energetic songs whose youthful and joyous melodies betray the comparatively darker lyrics that ruminate on such subjects as failed relationships and broken homes. Here, any false happiness has been erased and replaced with a mysterious grainy photograph of a solitary figure. The image brings many emotions to mind - depression, restlessness, abandonment, desperation - and it too hints at the album's contents. These songs make no effort to mask their less-than-happy lyrics and the instrumentation and vocals are intense, moody, aggressive, a far cry from the anthemic sing-along choruses and bouncy harmonies of the band's first album. In little more than a year, 1997 has become nearly an entirely different band. The impressive part is that neither version of the band is any better or worse than the other; they can exist as two separate entities rather than constantly competing. Once this balance is achieved in the listener's head, On the Run becomes a truly fantastic record, different but no less enjoyable or fulfilling - and maybe even more so.
Another huge reason for the drastic shift in sound is the addition of keyboardist/vocalist Alida Marroni. Her voice is more soulful and classic than former member Kerri Mack's powerful pop-punk pipes. It is also more affected; she sometimes takes vocal turns that come off as over-the-top and artificial, an affliction that can probably be partly blamed on her young age. With each subsequent listen, however, her few bad decisions are less noticeable and pale in comparison to her brightest moments. Even if she hasn't completely found her style yet, there's no denying that she does have a very impressive voice. After the initial shock of such a difference wears off, it becomes obvious that she fits the direction the band has taken very well and no one else could do a better job, not even Mack, whose cheerful shout-y voice is hard to imagine singing these darker tunes.
One thing that hasn't changed is the band's unique distribution of lead vocals amongst three of its members: Marroni, Kevin Thomas, and guitarist Caleb Pepp. This is probably their most appealing draw-in, as it keeps their sound from ever getting too stale or repetitive. Even though the boys' voices can often sound quite similar, each person has their own style to bring to the table. On A Better View of the Rising Moon, most songs didn't feature one vocalist prominently, instead choosing to focus on all three as a single unit, with a surplus of call-and-response and layered dissonant melodies. Here, there isn't nearly as much collaboration and while it is missed at first, it also gives each singer a chance to stand up on their own. In some bands, a lack of equal talent among multiple singers causes the songs to suffer, but all three have strong voices which are as capable of leading as they are of following. Despite the bigger focus on individuals, there are a few songs more reminiscent of their past approach scattered throughout the album ("4 a.m. Conversation", "Tennessee Song Pt. 2").
There isn't really a low point through all eleven of On the Run's tracks. There is plenty of variety, each song very different from the next. Tracks like "Dancing with the Devil" and "Sunset Beyond Black Clouds" are quite Straylight Run-esque, with their intense vocals and surprisingly complex and beautiful instrumentation. The latter especially has a chorus that seems ripped straight from the book of John Nolan. The Marroni-led "I Will Always Find You" and "A Dream of Form in Days of Thought" bring to mind a more moody and sensual Eisley or The Hush Sound, brimming with dark piano chords, dramatic vocals, and depressing lyrics ("You're tired of keeping us together/I'm pushing harder for your heart/You could not bear to face it sober/My love is pulling us apart"; "This is what it takes/To live under the weight/Of everything you've done/And this is what it's like/To spend your life behind/The barrel of a gun"). Comparisons to these and other bands may be easy to make, but 1997 definitely have their own sound and know how to incorporate their influences without sacrificing any individuality.
Elsewhere, there are still many more highlights. "4 a.m. Conversation" features heavy guitar riffs and Marroni and Thomas trading lyrical barbs as a couple on the verge of a break-up ("You say I'm immature, that I hide behind a mask/You know that I'm right/I'd rather run away than give this love a chance"). Shockingly devoid of the grating preciousness that clouds most songs on the subject, "January 19th" is a love song of sorts to Pepp's baby daughter, its inspirational lyrics ("You've got my hands to hold/You've got my arms when the world gets too cold/Wherever in life you want to go/You've got my hands... Lily, when you wake up/After all your dreams stop/Close your eyes and save them for the day I'm coming home/I'll keep you safe forever/You know that I will never let you go") contradicted by an aggressive vocal delivery. "Zechariah's Song" is an introspective ("I've got a friend who talks to Jesus/To heal her broken heart/But she's holding onto pieces/She's never even thought of letting go") upbeat number that showcases all three singers in a way more similar to their first record than most of the others.
Finally, wrapping things up nicely is the acoustic title track. The two-and-a-half-minute closer is led by Pepp and his acoustic guitar, with only a few seconds of harmonizing from Marroni, an oddly fitting singing saw appearance, and a bit of harmonica near the end interrupting the solitude. Nearly every track on the album touches on the universal topic of restlessness, constant wandering, and finding oneself on the road. (Three other songs apart from this one even feature the line "on the run", though it's not obvious if it is actually intentional.) "On the Run", though, offers a final summary of that theme, a more focused and simple exploration of it: "I've spent my best years on the road/I've done my share of ramblin', think I'll head back to my home/But nowhere ever seems like it's the only place for me/So as much as I don't wanna be alone, I gotta leave." It's the most sparse and slow song on the album, but is another standout for that; its stripped-down atmosphere serves as a perfect bookend to the album's catchy beginning.
There is one more important quality that On the Run shares with its predecessor: both albums are slow-burners. They seem slightly unimpressive at first, unassuming, but there is something present that keeps you listening until it finally clicks. Once this has happened, every song becomes a highlight, each one as good as the next, so that it is nearly impossible to pick favorites. Over more time, the songs reveal themselves even further, until the ones that used to do nothing turn into the ones you love the most. When patience is rewarded like this, when albums that never grabbed you suddenly take hold of your being completely, these are the moments when it feels best to be a music fan. Maybe 1997 haven't quite reached that level yet - they are still a fairly new band, after all - but they're getting dangerously close. Thomas has stated in the past, "We don’t ever want to play the same music. We always want to grow and try different things." If they continue evolving and maturing so drastically, it should definitely be interesting to see where their music goes in the future. For right now, they are just another one of those scarily talented young bands, with two totally different yet totally fulfilling albums, that deserve more attention than they're getting.
For fans of: The Anniversary, Eisley, The Hush Sound, Straylight Run
On the Run is out now on Victory records. If you like what you hear, please support the band and consider purchasing it.
Another huge reason for the drastic shift in sound is the addition of keyboardist/vocalist Alida Marroni. Her voice is more soulful and classic than former member Kerri Mack's powerful pop-punk pipes. It is also more affected; she sometimes takes vocal turns that come off as over-the-top and artificial, an affliction that can probably be partly blamed on her young age. With each subsequent listen, however, her few bad decisions are less noticeable and pale in comparison to her brightest moments. Even if she hasn't completely found her style yet, there's no denying that she does have a very impressive voice. After the initial shock of such a difference wears off, it becomes obvious that she fits the direction the band has taken very well and no one else could do a better job, not even Mack, whose cheerful shout-y voice is hard to imagine singing these darker tunes.
One thing that hasn't changed is the band's unique distribution of lead vocals amongst three of its members: Marroni, Kevin Thomas, and guitarist Caleb Pepp. This is probably their most appealing draw-in, as it keeps their sound from ever getting too stale or repetitive. Even though the boys' voices can often sound quite similar, each person has their own style to bring to the table. On A Better View of the Rising Moon, most songs didn't feature one vocalist prominently, instead choosing to focus on all three as a single unit, with a surplus of call-and-response and layered dissonant melodies. Here, there isn't nearly as much collaboration and while it is missed at first, it also gives each singer a chance to stand up on their own. In some bands, a lack of equal talent among multiple singers causes the songs to suffer, but all three have strong voices which are as capable of leading as they are of following. Despite the bigger focus on individuals, there are a few songs more reminiscent of their past approach scattered throughout the album ("4 a.m. Conversation", "Tennessee Song Pt. 2").
There isn't really a low point through all eleven of On the Run's tracks. There is plenty of variety, each song very different from the next. Tracks like "Dancing with the Devil" and "Sunset Beyond Black Clouds" are quite Straylight Run-esque, with their intense vocals and surprisingly complex and beautiful instrumentation. The latter especially has a chorus that seems ripped straight from the book of John Nolan. The Marroni-led "I Will Always Find You" and "A Dream of Form in Days of Thought" bring to mind a more moody and sensual Eisley or The Hush Sound, brimming with dark piano chords, dramatic vocals, and depressing lyrics ("You're tired of keeping us together/I'm pushing harder for your heart/You could not bear to face it sober/My love is pulling us apart"; "This is what it takes/To live under the weight/Of everything you've done/And this is what it's like/To spend your life behind/The barrel of a gun"). Comparisons to these and other bands may be easy to make, but 1997 definitely have their own sound and know how to incorporate their influences without sacrificing any individuality.
Elsewhere, there are still many more highlights. "4 a.m. Conversation" features heavy guitar riffs and Marroni and Thomas trading lyrical barbs as a couple on the verge of a break-up ("You say I'm immature, that I hide behind a mask/You know that I'm right/I'd rather run away than give this love a chance"). Shockingly devoid of the grating preciousness that clouds most songs on the subject, "January 19th" is a love song of sorts to Pepp's baby daughter, its inspirational lyrics ("You've got my hands to hold/You've got my arms when the world gets too cold/Wherever in life you want to go/You've got my hands... Lily, when you wake up/After all your dreams stop/Close your eyes and save them for the day I'm coming home/I'll keep you safe forever/You know that I will never let you go") contradicted by an aggressive vocal delivery. "Zechariah's Song" is an introspective ("I've got a friend who talks to Jesus/To heal her broken heart/But she's holding onto pieces/She's never even thought of letting go") upbeat number that showcases all three singers in a way more similar to their first record than most of the others.
Finally, wrapping things up nicely is the acoustic title track. The two-and-a-half-minute closer is led by Pepp and his acoustic guitar, with only a few seconds of harmonizing from Marroni, an oddly fitting singing saw appearance, and a bit of harmonica near the end interrupting the solitude. Nearly every track on the album touches on the universal topic of restlessness, constant wandering, and finding oneself on the road. (Three other songs apart from this one even feature the line "on the run", though it's not obvious if it is actually intentional.) "On the Run", though, offers a final summary of that theme, a more focused and simple exploration of it: "I've spent my best years on the road/I've done my share of ramblin', think I'll head back to my home/But nowhere ever seems like it's the only place for me/So as much as I don't wanna be alone, I gotta leave." It's the most sparse and slow song on the album, but is another standout for that; its stripped-down atmosphere serves as a perfect bookend to the album's catchy beginning.
There is one more important quality that On the Run shares with its predecessor: both albums are slow-burners. They seem slightly unimpressive at first, unassuming, but there is something present that keeps you listening until it finally clicks. Once this has happened, every song becomes a highlight, each one as good as the next, so that it is nearly impossible to pick favorites. Over more time, the songs reveal themselves even further, until the ones that used to do nothing turn into the ones you love the most. When patience is rewarded like this, when albums that never grabbed you suddenly take hold of your being completely, these are the moments when it feels best to be a music fan. Maybe 1997 haven't quite reached that level yet - they are still a fairly new band, after all - but they're getting dangerously close. Thomas has stated in the past, "We don’t ever want to play the same music. We always want to grow and try different things." If they continue evolving and maturing so drastically, it should definitely be interesting to see where their music goes in the future. For right now, they are just another one of those scarily talented young bands, with two totally different yet totally fulfilling albums, that deserve more attention than they're getting.
For fans of: The Anniversary, Eisley, The Hush Sound, Straylight Run
On the Run is out now on Victory records. If you like what you hear, please support the band and consider purchasing it.
Dancing with the DevilJanuary 19thZechariah's SongA Dream of Form in Days of Thought
