4.0 out of 5 stars
Zeitgeist of the Zeros, July 23, 2002
This review is from: Behind Every Life (Audio CD)
"Behind Every Life" is a great sounding CD, a big notch above the average sound of the zeros decade. Eamon's lyrics are an unusual mix of the matter-of-fact and the obscure; so they don't as much grab me as haunt me. The CD opens with the lush pop sound of "More Fortunate," "Behind every life, there's fire..." The track is startling for the abrupt manner in which it just seems to begin as if someone just flipped on the recording switch in the studio and then moves into David Gray White Ladder territory. Carolyn Dutton's violin is gorgeous on numerous tracks, but particularly shines on the midtempo "Bloom Again," "Play soft & sweet & tell me when you're ready; I'd really like to see you laughing & full of questions." "Pacify" is a slow meandering tune with a dense wall of sound arrangement, "You can say the words that somebody told you; you can live the life that somebody gave you." On a number of tracks Donna Bender's background vocals give a Fleetwood Mac feel to the music. Her bass also pumps "Only Angry" even though the words are a bit tough to latch onto, "Small spaces surrender, you win the biggest ticket, blow through here full power." "One Great Love" is a great reflective piece with the vocals finally mixed prominently and the violin giving a melancholy feel, "She wants some hope before the years, she wants one great love before the tears." My two favorite tracks come dead center in the CD. "Leave It To You" is a nice rocker with a great build and made me think of the band "Yes." This is followed by another great track with John Vignone's electric guitar searing through "Rescue Me," not the Fontella Bass classic of the same name. "A Better Plan" is a sad tune with the voice again submerged as one more instrument in the music, "Put it all behind you, she found a better plan." "Portrait" again sounds like we could have Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie doing background vocals giving the midtempo track a decided Fleetwood Mac feel about "crashing into life." "Cradled Ways" is a keyboard drenched tune with "Some Friend" a bubbly rocker. The CD concludes with "Poor Boy" with an acoustic guitar and Eamon's hushed voice building as electric guitars chime in, "When I was 18 I was so awake with you; I would pray every night for me & you." Eamon O'Tuama's CD is like an impressionist painting with the total sound being the picture and words, instruments and notes being the brushstrokes. Enjoy!
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