CD Review of...
Andrew James
EP
By: Alexandra Harris
At first listen, Andrew James sounds like every other mainstream rock artist. The surprises hit the ear on a second and third listen of his self-titled three-track debut album.
Andrew James opens with a drum crescendo and blended with keyboard and percussion creating an eerie yet soothing introduction to “Serenity.” In fact James’ entire album should be called “Serenity” because every tracks opens with a variety of the eerie and calming percussion, drum and keyboard blend, that is redundant twelve and a half minutes later.
The hard guitar of “Serenity” combined with James’s melodic, tenor voice that resembles a pop artist contrasts the sharp riffs and heavy drumming, as it does in his other two songs,“Things That Rise are Meant to Fall” and “Into the Breach.” It’s the product of uniting rock band Linkin’ Park and in a moment of desperation, asking American Idol runner up Clay Aiken to step in on lead vocals.
James brings the contrast into his lyrics as well. The verses are original, deep and thoughtful such as in “Serenity” when he sings: “I’m not immune to the wisdom of the age/that says peace is found in fortune and fame/but deep down I see some things in me/that I can’t fix that way.” Although his verses are deep, the choruses of his songs are a reminder of the mainstream music clichés in the song “Into the Breach:” “Just once more into the breach, dear friend/one more time before we shut this down/just once more into the breach, dear friend/before we shut this down.”
He manages to redeem himself for sixteen seconds during the instrumental of “Into the Breach” when percussion and programming takes over, throwing in catchy, stomp-like beats, which disappear as fast as Aiken did from the spotlight.
Perhaps the next album will be double the length, more variety and more innovation.