Thursday, 25 July 2013

The Band Perry- Pioneer Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Pioneer

Artist- The Band Perry

After breaking into the music scene with their huge selling hit “If I Die Young”, the Band Perry have been a strong staple of the country music scene, with a platinum selling debut album and a seemingly ever growing fan base. With this new album the band seem to have a bolder sound based on their single releases, but have the group actually created a record that shows a progression from their previous album?

Track 1- Better Dig Two

The opening number and the records lead single is a dark country affair that is backed by a cool rock vibe against the twangy banjo riffs and typical country sounds. The songs is centred around a simple hook that is catchy as lead singer Kimberly Perry plays the role of a wife who sings to her husband and tells him that should he die before her, then she would rather die and be buried next to him than live without him. The songs sentiment could easily be misconstrued as a sweet message, but when you actually listen to the track the song as a definitively dark aura about it with the stop and start rhythm and punchy chorus that is strong in its statement that she will die. The song is also really dark in some of the lyrical content and the transitions between the chorus and the verses which are powerfully orchestral based and sound melancholic. Furthermore, Kimberly has a delicate vocal within the track in certain sections, whilst the chorus is punchy and works well in contrast to the softer moments. The mid tempo track puts a cool spin on the idea of love, and although the sound is quite typical of today’s country market, the chorus has a strong catchy quality and Kimberly brings a sense of sincerity to the number, making this a strong opener and a good lead single.

3.5/5

Track 2- DONE.

From the dark mid tempo sound of the latter track we are transferred into a strong up tempo mode which is less dark and just more in your face aggressive. Chosen as the records second single, I feel it is a good song choice in showing a side of the band that casual listeners probably haven’t seen before. And furthermore it’s just a really catchy country number. It is almost the antithesis of the previous track in terms of the lyrical sentiment, as Kimberly sings about this man who just isn’t doing his best in this relationship and is acting like a kind of jerk, and so although her mother taught her to play nice, she’s giving up on this relationship and is aggressively moving on cause she is firmly done. The lyrically quality is strong, with the chorus being very catchy and the verses having a cool story telling quality. Vocally Kimberly is also really great within the song, bringing a great sass to her vocal performance and just sounds very powerful throughout the whole track. The clunky guitar rhythms and forceful drum beats and are also really strong, with the guitar solo at the end of the bridge sounding really great and being that moment where you and the band can both let go. A great song that will definitely sound great live.

4/5

Track 3- Don’t Let Me Be Lonely

From the punchy and aggressive edge of the previous number we transiton to a more subdued in tone but still powerful in message song that draws on a familiar country style in terms of the way that it builds. The track is powerfully based in love as Kimberly powerfully sings of life and how you can just go through it and it quickly goes, and she doesn’t want to be left lonely in the world and needs her heart opened by someone. The message is both sad and sweet, with the message being powerfully distilled in the emotionally loaded hook. And Kimberly sounds vocally strong within the track, with the boys backing her up in terms of the backing vocals and harmonising well. The sound of the track with the light guitar riffs that build and are joined by heavy drums is quite similar to the sound of other groups like the Band Perry, but with the ideology of the track this sound really works, and so we can forgive the band for this, particularly when at the end Kimberly really shows how powerful and awesome her voice is, and when the band do sound really emotional in what they are singing and almost a little fragile.

3.5/5

Track 4- Pioneer

A softer edge is shown on this track that is a little similar in tone to the bands previous work, such as “If I Die Young”. The title of the track to me sounded like a weird name for a song, but in listening to the song it makes complete sense. The basis of the lyrics are focused upon Kimberly telling this person that she will go anywhere with them, asking where they are going but not caring as she knows she will go, because this person is one who will just venture into the unknown. She also tells this pioneer to be careful and not let his heart be trouble. With her light and lilting vocal performance Kimberly makes the song a chilled listen and gives a sincere quality to the track, before the powerful bridge kicks in with it’s grand and fast paced urgency that builds to a powerful finish that shows that Kimberly and her pioneer will venture out no matter what. The lyrical content is good in that it has the capability to have different meanings for each listener, with the pioneer potentially being a family member or a partner. The production of the track is also strong in the way that it builds, having a light tone through the use of delicate strings and simple guitar instrumentation before the steady drum beats begin, and then the bridge starts with it’s stomping stop and start rhythm and faster guitar riffs, whilst the harmonization of the group becomes stronger to give some power to the final section before ending on a sweet note.

3.5/5

Track 5- Forever Mine Nevermind

Co-written by another big country star of the moment, Brad Paisley, the fifth track puts us back into an up tempo state and brings back the biting angst of DONE. as Kimberly sings of this guy who send that he would be hers forever but that was in fact a lie, and she’s just really not happy about it, employing an array of imagery of people losing things to show how she’s angry and happy about losing this mind. Opening with a both cool and weird “na na na” intro that becomes the hook of the song, the lyrical content of the track is not as strong as the previous numbers, as although the create a catchy chorus, some of the verses come across as too much of a cliché, and the “na na na” hook draws a fine line between catchy and annoying. Whilst the lyrics aren’t as great as they should be the vocals maintain the same power as the other tracks, not quite having the sass of DONE. but still having a powerful tone and drifting nicely between sweet innocence and feisty woman. The production is also really strong, with the light guitar riffs making for a good up tempo sound. The bridge is also a particularly strong moment with its gospel like qualities that make for a really strong finish, with the electric guitar moments of the final section allowing for a catchy close to the track.

3/5

Track 6- Night Gone Wasted

Kimberly states in one particular potent lyric of this track: “Oh my heart is banging to the beat of the band”. And with this track The Band Perry seem to wish to do exactly the same in a send up to the good times of just getting drunk and having fun, centred around the idea of a night gone wasted (i.e. you might have technically just got drunk and therefore wasted the night, but you also just got wasted from alcohol and just had fun because of it). The song powerfully distils the fun of such activity and is helped by the vocal performance of Kimberly, who brings a kind of gritty tone to this piece and really lets rip in the bridge to get you up at least by the songs finish. In terms of the production the band also keep things really cool and vibrant with a clunky guitar rhythms that acts as the base for the heavy drum beats and grand electric guitar riffs, with the bridge being another moment where a guitar solo is employed to great effect. The track also really works in the way that it has a hip swinging tone but isn’t annoyingly extremely up tempo, and so excites you even more because of this. A big country stomper that also works in the divergence from the love based theme.

3.5/5

Track 7- I Saw a Light

After the stomping have fun atmosphere of the previous number we return to a more traditional love based country tune with this light and sweet song that sounds like a good track for lovestruck teenagers. From the moment this track begins the country sensibilities of the band come powerfully through in the use of the banjo instrumentation and accordion sounds that immediately signal a folk/country sound. And this sound is just built on as the track continues, with the chorus having a typical country sound with the employment of the thumping bass drum and grand guitar riffs. Yet whilst the sound is perhaps something country fans will find familiar, over all there is lightness to the sound that welcomingly ties in with the lyrical message, and so it just sounds fun and fresh. The lyrics have a powerful basis in the idea of love as Kimberly plays the role of a girl who has been struck powerfully by love and just has this strong feeling for this boy, with the hook cementing the strength of her emotions with the idea of seeing the light, a saying commonly associated with religious behaviour. Vocally this is one of Kimberly’s best moments and is cool in how it flips the dark and delicate qualities of the opening track, instead showing the lightness and power of her vocal abilities. A slight issue with the track is that initially the role of this love struck girl doesn’t seem to suit Kimberly or the record, but the song really builds and at some point you will be easily won over.

3.5/5

Track 8- Mother Like Mine

Love seems to be a key theme for the group with this record, but they keep things interesting in the way that they approach the concept, never always going for the boy girl combination. Instead this acts as a love song for the bands mother, as Kimberly sings of the greatest of her mother, using an array of imagery to express how she has had a powerful effect on the siblings, and furthermore expressing the idea that if the world had a mother like theirs then life would be so much better. It’s a really sweet sentiment that is executed to good effect with the catchy chorus and the simple hook, and although the imagery is clichéd, Kimberly’s light vocal performance gives a nice touch of sincerity to the track, and so the clichés can be ignored. The vocal performance is also great in the way that Kimberly conveys a sense of warmth to the listener through the emphasis on the last word of each line in the chorus, which gives a lovely lilting tone to the track. In terms of production things are kept quite simple with a steady drum back beat and delicate guitar instrumentation that just keeps things chilled and allows the message of the track to come through even more powerfully. A really sweet track, this is a song that would be great for mother’s day and is a song that all the people who love their mother strongly should really listen to.

3.5/5

Track 9- Chainsaw

Another one of the few songs that the band didn’t right themselves, this track brings us back to a more faster tempo and aggressive personality. The track is reminiscent of the bitterness of DONE. as Kimberly sings of how her and her man were so in love and wrote their names on this tree to mark how it would last forever, but things changed and now she’s going to cut down the tree out of bitterness. The chorus has a catchy quality and second chorus has a dark statement that cuts into the heart of what it means to be in love. Vocally Kimberly is strong, with the verses being softer and providing a nice contrast with the edgier chorus. Production wise the group also keep it simple with a familiar country sound of heavy drums and banjo riffs. Yet whilst it is a good song, it does feel a little bit like we have heard what is being sung already, and vocally (and to a certain extent lyrically) the track likes the sass and venom that really makes for a bitter song that stands out.

3/5

Track 10- I’m a Keeper

With the beginning of the track and it’s slightly distorted guitar bass line I thought this would be an intriguing song, and it is indeed this in terms of the slightly more pop orientated vibe of the track, although the country roots are still there. The production is really powerful with the bouncy instrumentation of the guitars and the steady drum beats aligned with some cool and quirky piano instrumentation that is reminiscent of a western saloon sound. The track is also great in the production in how the bridge is a moment that really builds towards a strong finish, something that by this point is seemingly something that the band can always pull off and always make sound great. The bitterness of the previous track kind of continues with this number as Kimberly sings how she is a unique and sweet individual who can survive without this guy, because she is just an awesome and someone that a guy she really hold onto. The chorus is extremely catchy and the hook immediately grabs your attention. And this attention grabbing is also really helped by Kimberly and the boys who exhibit some nice vocal harmonization, whilst Kimberly once again gives a powerful vocal, with the final chorus really showing that she is perhaps one of country music’s newest divas as she ad libs to perfection to give the track pizazz and sass. It’s a great song in terms of the potential to show how they are a potential great country/pop crossover act.

3.5/5

Track 11- Back to Me Without You

Things become a lot more subdued and mid tempo with this song in which the band show a sense of fragility. The track finds Kimberly focusing on this guy who has been like another limb in her life for so long, but now things have ended so she has to get back to a state where she can function without this song. The track has a dark undertone and is lyrically strong in terms of the passion of the chorus and the simple statement of “back to me without you”. Vocally Kimberly is once again very strong, but the boys of the band also come out a bit more within this song and nicely emphasise how this is a group, whilst also perhaps offering a small two fold perspective to the track. The potentially dark quality of the track comes out prominently in the catchy production, which begins with a fragile and simple piano melody before the haunting organ kicks in and then the guitar instrumentation and forceful drum beats come into the fray. The bridge is also once again another epic moment which gives a cool slice of almost Italian flavouring to the track and a fast paced urgency to the final chorus that is such a strong finish.

3.5/5

Track 12- End of Time

The album ends on a typical fragile and down tempo country number that is quite beautiful in it’s simple country tone. The track also offers both a closure in terms of the album but also in terms of the idea of love, as Kimberly sings of how things have just changed and it is the end of time of this relationship, which is sad. It is another powerful number where vocally Kimberly is extremely strong and production feels very polished and nice in terms of the way that it builds to always capture us by the end. It’s another solid number that is a nice album closer and which shows that this is a group that can do very little wrong.

3.5/5

Final Review

The Band Perry is just a great country group in the way that they created a sound that has a true wide spread appeal, with tight lyrical concepts and executions that will appeal to many, vocals that always have a flawless quality and bring a sense of power and personality to nearly every track, and production that is really polished and tuned into what works with the songs message and what will sound great for the listener. They also create a sound that is very much rooted in country in tone, but which could very easily slip into mainstream pop, and so this is a very exciting group that will definitely remain in the music scene for a while if they keep producing albums like this.

9/10

Best Track- DONE.

Worst Track- Chainsaw

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