This column is a musical soapbox. It’s about passion. It’s about a band or musician that everyone should check out.
What’s the big deal with Bright Eyes? I can tell you here and now that I will never review them for this column. I’ve heard them, and while I like some of the music, it’s just that there are so many other groups out there that deserve wider recognition, have a broader musical palette, and – cherry on top – they’re not anywhere near as whiney. Case in point? Local band Subject Bias. Give me a choice of an album from the two groups, and I’ll take the Portland based Subject Bias any day.
Subject Bias is lead singer/guitarist Kevin Ouellette’s baby. Originally a soloist, he quickly realized that his musical ideas were too big to flesh out all by himself. As a result, he brings in other fantastic local musicians, all with similar mindsets and musical goals, to create a wholly fresh and lush, yet subtle sound. Violin, cello, drums, guitar, horns and other voices are all used on Ouellette’s tracks, but they all seem to be an extension of his creative persuasion.
The greatness of other groups (especially jazz groups) is based on the interaction between distinctive personalities. In the case of Subject Bias, it’s more the problem of lack of limbs for Ouellette to get the final product he wants by himself.
And yes, while I say that Ouellette’s music is lush, and employs the use of varied instruments, his overall sound eternally remains stripped, simple, and sparse. You don’t even notice the other instruments as they weave in and out around his mellow guitar playing- they are there to reinforce, but not distract. In the case of groups where other instruments are the selling point (The Decemberists), a track with only acoustic guitar seems like a departure from the rest of the CD, but with Subject Bias, each song sounds perfectly acoustic and honest in nature, no matter how many (or few) instruments are present.
And This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is Subject Bias’ third full-length release, and is perfect for all your emo/indie rock/ “I need some alone time” music needs. It is also one of the most personal albums I have encountered. Its mix of blunt, honest lyrics and half-storytelling carry a great weight of character throughout. In fact, it’s Ouellette’s personality and voice that tie the entire album together. Every track has chord progressions or formats that you’ve heard before (although not with this superb orchestration of instruments), but it is almost impossible to mistake any song for that of another artist.
Ouellette’s voice is not the selling point of his group for me. It’s certainly passionate but is just a little too nasally on most tracks for me, save for the excellent vocal work on the tracks “Hold Your Tongue” and “True Love (I Learned from the Best)”. That said, it would not be Subject Bias with any other vocalist (although the tracks with guest singers Siiri Soucy and Stephanie Babirak are my favorites). His voice is treated as just another instrument, and that just happens to be the sound that it produces. It’s a passionate, honest, and borderline emo voice, and its presence is the little twist of character that solidifies most of the songs. What would be generic is suddenly satirical, or pained, or hilarious.
Because of this vocal omnipresence, some of the songs can sound like rehashings of other tracks if you don’t listen to the lyrics, but this is more than made up for by the mix of styles used on the other songs. For example, the track “Judged by the State” with trumpet, trombone and sax sounds like a great, swaying last-call-at-a-bar ditty, “Like Lovers Do” shows us a glimpse of angry emo jazz meet ska, whereas “It Starts” is a creepy/whimsical love waltz that is probably my favorite track on the whole album. Overall, “And This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” has a lot of strong points, “Hate the Sinner” and the catchy “Six of One” among them. That said, it feels like it’s an experimental album, and that Ouellette is still fleshing out a sound for himself and playing with a varied choice of instruments and voices to help him in his journey. And let me tell you something, there’s nothing wrong with that. This is a band to keep an eye on.
LISTEN TO: “It Starts,” “Slightest Twist,” “Judged by the State”
GET THEM: Bull Moose, iTunes, subjectbias.com, or check them out live with no cover charge November 11 at the Mad Monkey Caf? in Raymond at 7:30 p.m. u
John Coons is a senior music education major who has performed with the Portland Opera, sings Jazz gigs, conducts two choirs, and was in a Queen tribute band. To say that he likes a wide variety of music is an understatement. Send your “You gotta check them out!” to John Coons at [email protected].