Review: Hubbell Mountain "Silent Pilot"

It has been a long, hard day, and I'm tempted to write this one off so I can proceed unabated with my two favorite hobbies: drinking gin and tonic and playing World of Warcraft.  Stop reading this crap, I should write, and go buy Hubbell Mountain's "Silent Pilot" EP. You'll like it. Trust me.

Review: The Willow & The Builder

The Willow & The Builder have a sound. It is a shrill sound, and a pounding sound. A drone, and a staccato.

Drums tuned low pound with tambourine accompaniment as guitars and pianos arpeggio whimsical progressions with virtuosic precision, all the while lithe vocals dance about the foreground of this sonic tapestry, describing in some detail, amongst other things, love, longing, and tea parties held precariously – and inadvisably – amidst the high branches of a tree.

If this sounds as if it resembles the soundtrack to an iPad commercial, it is because The Willow & The Builder would sound very much at home there, or perhaps even more so amongst the other artists the folks over at iTunes consider “Indie”. Acoustic guitars and pounding pianos, tambourine-topped tom toms, and wispy vocals, the eight songs of their self-titled album are very much reflective of what is stylishly indie these days, the kind of music you’d expect was recorded by candlelight in a barn on a warm summer’s night in rural New England.

It’s certainly catchy, but it may attract the derision of those who think of “indie” and “eclectic” as equivalent terms. If you are one of these people, you may find yourself wanting, for if there is such a thing as an “indie” mold, then The Willow & The Builder fits snugly therein. Theirs is the safe and tried path, and while they do what they do extremely well, they are not for the listener seeking Indie’s next big thing.

But, if you like the musings of, say, the Decemberists, Feist, or Ingrid Michaelson, you’ll like The Willow & The Builder, and with their songwriting expertise and professional production they won’t seem like a weak facsimile thereof, but a potent contender for airplay. With a “name your price” scheme attached to the sale of their album, there’s really excuse for not giving them a sincere listen.

Review: Brain Room's "Axis II"

Were the men of Brain Room not musicians, but rather painters, they would no doubt be masters of the landscape, tirelessly manipulating light and shadow and shade and color to render scenes azoic, yet emotive. Their works would be beautiful, but not Baroque. Surreal, but not quite Dali. Rather, they would stand somewhere between ideals, between the real and the fantastic.

For those caught unawares, Brain Room is a New Haven three-piece specializing in a kind aural stimulation which leans towards prog more than somewhat. To assuage the fears of those sonic aficionados who simply cannot help but to deride progressive rock as some halfway home for musically inclined arrogant youth of decidedly middle class stock, I shall clarify here there is no Gabriel-esque whimsy to found in Brain Room’s music or persona, no unintelligible themes or absurdist, pretentious lyrics. There are no costumes, no funny hats, and, as far as I know, no walls or poorly illuminated celestial objects. What Brain Room does have, however, are classically trained musicians as adept at writing songs as they are at playing their particular instruments.

On their recently-released EP "Axis II", pianos pound in the low register and dance lithely in the high. A solo cello whines dryly as an old bow is drawn lightly over its strings. A taught snare snaps like a bullwhip while cymbals clatter on like raindrops against a car windshield. Tucked into a few secluded corners you’ll find guitars both electric and acoustic and the occasional synthesizer tapped for its otherworldly tones.

The end result is an odd blend of music which, when taken as a whole, sounds like Rube Goldberg was handed a stack of classical, folk, rock, and rave albums and was then told to make a song. Each piece of the convoluted contraption is conspicuously unique, yet the end result is functional to its intended design.

Take the track “As Far as it Goes”, for example. The song begins with piano and drums providing an energetic if disco-esque rhythm as the cello belts out am emotive lead. By the thirty second mark, the song has changed pace somewhat, to flighty piano pattern and bittersweet vocal lead, only to change again some ten seconds later, this time to a breakdown á la prog-metal titans MUSE.

THE BRAIN ROOM - As far as it goes by CTINDIE

Each of the five cuts are expertly performed and composed, each distinct yet comfortably juxtaposed with the other songs. The result is a sonically consistent recording that, in the spirit of prog and its longstanding tradition of themed albums, favors a full listen, but will also accommodate a cherry-picking of tracks, if such is your proclivity.

Still, the tracks themselves seem a bit short. While Brain Room obviously favors concise composition over drawn-out jams, “Axis II” seems to build up very quickly, and end just as abruptly. Obviously, an unsigned band must survive on a budget, and albums can be costly. Still, the Wagnerian grandeur of the music demands a grand format, and I do think it would nice to see a full twelve to fifteen tracks from Brain Room in the future.

Though a generally competent vocalist, John Cahill does perhaps overexert himself in a few isolated incidences, though more detracting to the overall quality of the EP, however, is the manner in which the vocals are presented. Quiet and drenched with reverb, the vocal tracks, in some places, are obscured by the frenetic instrument tracks. The vocal melodies may still be heard with some clarity, though they do sound "thin" in contrast to the instrumentation, and the vocals themselves are difficult to decipher in some spots.

In the overall scope of the EP, however, these flaws are relatively minor, and shall no doubt be received as par for the course by any serious indie aficionado. I can say with no uncertainty Brain Room is one of the best bands Connecticut has to offer, and I would readily recommend “Axis II” to anyone who dares inquire.

Chillingsworth: Wherein Rob Picks On Children

My reputation as a cynical curmudgeon notwithstanding, I take no pleasure in breaking the spirits of aspiring children. So, imagine my concern when I received an email from the fine folks at CTIndie, requesting I review the musical styling of Weston’s own Chillingsworth, a cadre of five teens not yet old enough to drive. Admittedly, I found myself less than enthusiastic to accept this particular review. What if this band – this Chillingsworth – was simply terribad? Could I publicly criticize a cadre of aspiring kids? If I wound up discouraging them completely, could I deal with it?

I can be cruel, but a man has to draw that line in the sand somewhere.

Luckily, the problem solved itself. I listened to Chillingsworth’s four –track EP “Sir Roger”, and, as it turns out, these youngsters from Fairfield County are surprisingly good. So, I’m making an exception here. Today, Rob beats up on kids.

Perhaps it is because I first listened “Sir Roger” knowing full well it was recorded by musicians too young to collect a paycheck in the State of Connecticut, but what was immediately most noticeable to me was the superb sound quality of the recording. The guitars jangle, the vibes glisten, and the drums are full and free of distortion. I can only conclude these kids have access to a professional studio of some kind, and, let’s be honest here, when it comes to reviewing indie music, an album that does not sound like it was recorded with a tin can and a length of string makes the job that much easier.

Still, we all know professional sound does not mean professional music. A noise gate or a compressor won’t fix bad songwriting. In Chillingsworth’s case, whatever newfangled technology they have at their disposal is entirely deserved. Despite their age, they have a keen grasp of songwriting which eludes even older, more established acts. From the opening metallic jangle of “Cloud” to the frenetic, Latin-esque finale of “Stay Fly”, these songs toe the line between the amateur and the professional.



Still, Chillingsworth is a band of youngsters, and like youngsters, they’ve made a few youngster mistakes. Most noticeable amongst said errors are the occasional moments when the band falls out of tempo. This is hardly a deal breaker, however, as the drift is rarely extreme.

Also to the band’s detriment is a noticeable lack of sonic continuity. Chillingsworth draws heavily from indie pop and funk, but rather than fusing the two genres into a cohesive sound, the band recorded what amounts to two indie tracks (“Cloud”, “Settle”), and two funkier tracks (“R.A.C” , “Stay Fly”). A more uniform sound – in either direction – would have made a more cohesive EP, but again, the songs are good on their own merits.

Paramount amongst Chillingsworth’s freshman stumbling, however, is their handling of vocal duties. Despite a dearth of vocal hooks, the lyrics are well composed. The problem is, they are not always well performed. More often than not, the lead vocals are off-key, sometimes, severely so. With an otherwise near-flawless effort, the amateurish singing is somewhat more pronounced. The band would do well to consider vocal training, perhaps taking on a trained vocalist, or at the very least compose vocal melodies more appropriate their skill-level.

Overall, however, Chillingsworth’s “Sir Roger” is still very much worth a listen to anyone who favors pop over experimentation. They can write, they can record, and they can perform. With a few years more experience, and a little practice, these kids are going to go places.

Keep an eye out, Connecticut.