Having spun Copeland CDs into my ears have literally bled, and recently fallen in love with the new Cartel record, it's difficult to pin down Waking Ashland as anything other than the band which stands directly in the middle of the two. With Copeland's deft piano playing, alongside Cartel's full-on vocal melodies, WA are literally the offspring the pair would create. Whether that's a good or bad thing I suppose is open to interpretation. While 'Composure' has some very good moments (the first three tracks really stand out) at times the CD just drifts away and flatters to deceive, which is a pity.
'I Am For You' is the song most people will have heard as it was thrown around purevolume for over a year, but the timid opener 'Shades of Grey' and the delightful 'Rumors' are every bit as good. Lou Giordano's production is very thick and compliments the band's sickly sweet sound well, although Jonathan Jones’ voice is unique enough to always make an impact. It's just a pity some of the songs he sings tend to blend in as background noise. Still, 'Let Go' and the awesome 'Hands on Deck' make this worth buying, although I'm not sure if it will stand the test of time or not...
www.wakingashland.com
Tooth and Nail
Paul
