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One Dollar ShortReceiving Transmission FMR I will admit two facts about One Dollar Short's new release. Firstly, using Phil McKellar as producer has really paid off: the songs sound big and radio-friendly. The other fact is that the band has matured both in songwriting and playing ability. However, even with those facts admitted, the album is... not brilliant. After a few listens I began to warm to some of the tracks, mainly the opening trio of Some Assembly Required, Mayakovsky Had A Gun and Headlights, but as I ventured further into the album most of the songs (for me anyway) started to blend into one, as if they were using different variants of the same chord progression. Another aspect that caught my attention were the vocals: their pitch is perfect... in fact, a little too perfect. There's no urgency or power: they sound both over-produced and unnatural. For all you One Dollar Short diehard fans out there, the initial run of 'Receiving Transmission' comes with a bonus disc containing b-sides and their cover of Kasey Chambers' Not Pretty Enough (which, I have to say, could have sounded so much better). I hate when I review an album that I don't really love because I realise how much blood, sweat and tears go into every song. Hence, I want to stress that the album is not bad: the songs are generally catchy and some of the guitar solos are awesome... but I guess I was hoping for something really new and interesting.  |
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