Awesome New Republic Album Review: Rational Geographic Vol. One
Ric gave me a copy of Awesome New Republic's new release, Rational Geographic Vol. One. I was anxious to play it because the cover art was eerily eye catching and the title is a clever play on words. When I popped the disc in, I was taken on an electronic joy ride.
Rational Geographic Vol. One is the first disc released in a series of three through the Honor Roll Music label. The album was recorded by the band in Honor Roll Music's 4,000 SqFt studio in Miami's developing Upper East Side. Vol. One is a seven-track nugget that opens with National Insecurity, a twenty second piano and vocal introduction, reminiscent of Vaudevillian story telling. The track hints to the theme of the disc as the evolution of our nation.
The introduction ends and leads you directly into Rotary Clone without missing a beat. The electronic composition of the second track has a Miami Bass vibe while MJ belts out lyrics replete with social commentary touching on pharmaceutical addictions and maybe even the mortgage crisis, “I feel like a visitor in my house, I feel like an animal in my home”.
The hit on the album has to be Birthday; it’s an upbeat sexy love song where the lead character is hot and bothered by the driving of a gentleman friend. MJ shows off his vocal range and gives Justin Timberlake a run for his money with his funky falsetto. The song is very catchy with a driving beat, simple but steady bass riff, and a driven keyboard accent to the vocals.
There is a climax point in Birthday, when rejecting his mama MJ builds up the chorus “....All you gotta do is love me up YEAHOHH” he hits his highest note, which leads B-Rob into a keyboard solo that soon links up with a nasty guitar (like an Iron Maiden guitar solo) to reach a crescendo then crashes into panning techno waves and fade out into the chorus. *Please read my interview with B-Rob to hear more about this song.*
Another favorite of mine is Digital World. It starts off as a folksy ballad which opens up with a harmonica, acoustic guitar, and MJ’s clean voice. Returning with the album’s theme MJ ponders the fall of civilization due to technology. The song changes gears picking up a nice beat, some keys and naturally it becomes more digital. Both this song and Dances When remind me of a funked up more electric Tears for Fears for some reason, which is great because I find my self singing along.
Magic City is a hyped up window into the future with a Devo-esque arrangement, surrounded by dirty syth-tones. In Magic City MJ flexes his Spanish skill, “Ciudad de magia porque no puedo montar puedo montar en la noche?”. The closing track Force Field portrays the lead character facing a paranoid delusion for increased security. He decides the only option for survival is to install a force field . Force Field leaves the listener wanting more and searching for a resolution to the story, which will have to wait till July for the release of Rational Geographic Vol. Two. But for now you can go tho ANR's website and download Vol. One for free.
Awesome New Republic's Birthday
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LINKS
Awesome New Republic’s website (www.anrmiami.com)
Awesome New Republic’s myspace (www.myspace.com/awesomenewrepublic)
Honor Roll Music website (www.honorrollmusic.com)
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Sounds pretty sweet.