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SWITCHBACK7
is a Denver band that has been around for awhile; they have spent over 8 years
paying dues and struggling through line-up changes, all to keep the rock and
roll dreams of founding members Ben Imsdahl (guitar, vocals) and Tim Paull
(bass) alive! Honestly, I’m impressed with the tenacity that these guys have
demonstrated; many times, dreams die before they get a chance to come to
fruition in the world of independent music. It’s a hard road to travel, and if
you’re not completely committed to seeing success on higher levels, it’s best if
you stick to something nice and safe, like bullfighting!
Their tenacity has been paying off in the last few months, as many positive
developments have been coming to the
SWITCHBACK7
camp! They finally feel like they’ve put together a winning lineup (adding
Brendan Ragan on drums/vocals and Mark Mangold on rhythm guitar), and are
starting to see the hard work of a big publicity push in their local scene pay
off, as they begin to develop a strong following! Their efforts have been
rewarded with many weekly opportunities to play, and when they do, the house has
been packed! They have also had been featured on National TV, and have had top
spots in downloads on
DENVERLOCALMUSICSCENE.COM; now, they have added the full-length CD
Scissor Fight
to their list of accomplishments! Can life get any better for the members of
SWITCHBACK7?
In listening to
Scissor Fight,
I was immediately aware of the influence that Imsdahl and Paull have had on this
record; the driving force in almost every song is a combination of bass, guitar,
and vocals, and that accounts for every task that the two perform! It also makes
sense, because as founding members, they would be the ones that have had
direction and purpose for the longest amount of time, and would have the ability
to steer the band where they feel it should be headed. This is not in any way
meant to minimize the contributions of Ragan and Mangold, because they both turn
in great performances! In fact, my criticisms wouldn’t be pointed at either of
the newest members, because there isn’t anything that I hear from either of them
that is sub-par; the drumming is in lockstep with the bass, and rhythm and lead
lines mesh together well! Musically, this band is first-rate!
To be completely honest, though, this wasn’t a CD that I was totally impressed
with. I like individual performances! Ben Imsdahl’s vocals are gritty at the
times when the song requires it, and moody and soaked with emotion the rest of
the time! His guitar playing is also good, and fits his voice! Tim Paull’s
funk-style bass lines are played well, and are also a distinctive part of the
band’s sound! The drums and rhythm guitar parts are played well, too, but, for
some reason, the total package doesn’t come together as well as I’d like it to.
Many times, the songs begin to sound very repetitive, because there isn’t any
sort of bridge or break in the pattern. When changes do happen, they are just
variations on the same theme; for instance, in “Moneyshot”, the break comes
later in the song, with the same rhythm, but a more elaborate bass line. It’s
basically a “fancier” version of what has been played through the entire song.
Perhaps a change in rhythm, or even a total bass solo, might break the song up a
bit more!
The next song, “The Search For Azriel’s Booty”, is a bit better; it features a
different guitar/bass rhythm on the third verse, but the vocals retain the same
melody line, and after a small instrumental break, the song soon returns to the
same pattern. This is true of many more songs on the CD, and for me, it seemed
to make for a long listening session.
Though I don’t have totally positive comments regarding this record, I do want
to point out high points for me! The opening song, “Swizelclip”, is my favorite
song on the CD! The guitars use a very interesting effect through the verses,
and the rhythm of the song is very interesting! This is the song that will be
featured on
MWB RADIO,
and I think it’s definitely the strongest single on the album!
“Tastes Like Burning” is my second favorite song; it features a strong rhythm
performance with interesting change-ups on the drums between verses and chorus.
Other favorites include “Vagino Monk”, and “Tiger Sauce”. Though the last
mention is still a bit repetitive, it provides a different opening sound, and
another variation on the sound that this band is capable of. I also think it is
the song on which Ben Imsdahl turns in his strongest vocal performance!
I write this review in many ways wishing I could offer more positive comments. I
like the attitude that this band has as a collective of individuals, and wish
that more independent bands would follow in their footsteps! They have worked
hard to get where they are today, and for that, they deserve a lot of praise! I
also feel that the band must offer a really powerful live performance, because
their success to this point seems to have been built on the number of people
that they can pack into a venue! That is not an easy task, because people don’t
offer much charity to independent acts. If lots of people are showing up, the
band has to be good!
As with many other reviews, I want to leave you with this challenge: check
SWITCHBACK7
out! Listen to their music, and form your own opinion about their music! Your
opinion might be totally different, and you might feel that I’ve been a bit hard
on the guys. If so, let me know what you feel the strong points are for their
music! To me, the best thing this band has going for it is the caliber of
musical ability that each member possesses. Perhaps a more collaborative
songwriting approach, and more input, not just from band members, but also from
people close to the band, would help to provide more interesting songs, and a
stronger platform to showcase the abilities of this great band!---Mark Lush, MWB
10/30/03 *Listen for
SWITCHBACK7
on
MWB RADIO!
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