Album has fun, basic rock sound
Mishael Devlin
Issue date: 6/25/04 Section: Entertainment
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According to a May 27, 2004 article in The Pittsburgh Tribune, Actionslacks' guitarist and vocalist Tim Scanlin used to work as a rock journalist, causing him to now possess an "encyclopedic knowledge of music." Although Actionslacks primarily focuses on a basic rock sound on their latest album Full Upright Position, which they utilize well, the influence of Scanlin's vast musical knowledge can be heard on some of the tracks.
The first track, "33 1/3," is a fun rocker with an intro that sounds slightly reminiscent of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something.
The song is about the joys of listening to music, specifically to records as the title suggests. There's something ironic about a CD starting with a song about vinyl albums.
The next track, "This Damn Nation," is the perfect anthem for anyone who is jaded by pop culture. The song is more than a four-minute complaint. It's a clever critique. It contains some lyrical gems like, "We got greeting card emotion / 'cause we can't express ourselves / I won't tell you to your face / but I'll call you on my cell" and "all the bands that could save your life you will never hear."
Beginning with music that seems to invoke a reflective mood, "All You'll Ever Need to Know" basically delivers the message "happiness is what matters most in life." This song will either encourage listeners to change their lives or, if listeners consider the song preachy and pretentious, it will make them resent the song.
While these three songs stick to the basic rock sound, other influences can be heard once one gets deeper into the album. For instance, the upbeat song "Simple Life," which contains the great line "punch the clock right between the eyes," features a strong, energetic piano solo.
"Keeping Close to You" is a pure country song, complete with harmonies and what sounds like a lap steel guitar. The preceding track, "Cut Above," contains some intervals that definitely give the song a country feel.
"Someday Soon," which contains the clever line "All the money in the world can't save a bankrupt soul" in the last chorus, is a dark-sounding rocker, sounding very reminiscent of "Love Song" by The Cure.
In that same Pittsburgh Tribune article, Scanlin said that the album's title referred to Actionslacks' songwriting style. They don't want to "reinvent the wheel," as Scanlin put it.
Instead, they want to work within the songwriting framework that has been established, accepting it as a challenge; they want to work in the already existing position.
Some may not like working within boundaries, but if boundaries motivate Actionslacks to write good, catchy rock songs with smart lyrics, they're right where they belong and they don't need to move. Rating: 4 Triangles.
The first track, "33 1/3," is a fun rocker with an intro that sounds slightly reminiscent of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something.
The song is about the joys of listening to music, specifically to records as the title suggests. There's something ironic about a CD starting with a song about vinyl albums.
The next track, "This Damn Nation," is the perfect anthem for anyone who is jaded by pop culture. The song is more than a four-minute complaint. It's a clever critique. It contains some lyrical gems like, "We got greeting card emotion / 'cause we can't express ourselves / I won't tell you to your face / but I'll call you on my cell" and "all the bands that could save your life you will never hear."
Beginning with music that seems to invoke a reflective mood, "All You'll Ever Need to Know" basically delivers the message "happiness is what matters most in life." This song will either encourage listeners to change their lives or, if listeners consider the song preachy and pretentious, it will make them resent the song.
While these three songs stick to the basic rock sound, other influences can be heard once one gets deeper into the album. For instance, the upbeat song "Simple Life," which contains the great line "punch the clock right between the eyes," features a strong, energetic piano solo.
"Keeping Close to You" is a pure country song, complete with harmonies and what sounds like a lap steel guitar. The preceding track, "Cut Above," contains some intervals that definitely give the song a country feel.
"Someday Soon," which contains the clever line "All the money in the world can't save a bankrupt soul" in the last chorus, is a dark-sounding rocker, sounding very reminiscent of "Love Song" by The Cure.
In that same Pittsburgh Tribune article, Scanlin said that the album's title referred to Actionslacks' songwriting style. They don't want to "reinvent the wheel," as Scanlin put it.
Instead, they want to work within the songwriting framework that has been established, accepting it as a challenge; they want to work in the already existing position.
Some may not like working within boundaries, but if boundaries motivate Actionslacks to write good, catchy rock songs with smart lyrics, they're right where they belong and they don't need to move. Rating: 4 Triangles.
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