City of Festivals

Decibully | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 14, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polyvinyl Records
• ASIN: B0000E3307
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #377,276 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Indie Genius, May 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: City of Festivals (Audio CD)

With harmonic diligence the 7 members of this relatively new ensemble weave a poetic tapestry of brilliant compilation. The soaring vocals dance in your ears as they tell a symphonic story of musical fortitude. Mixing such diverse instrumentation consisting of lap steel, accordian, banjo, wurlitzer plus acoustic and solid body guitars makes this a must buy album of rare opportunity. Holding this premier CD will provide endless hours of satisfaction while allowing you to own a piece of the band in its infancy. I highly recommend this outstanding piece melodic essence.

5.0 out of 5 stars this is a record i will keep., May 3, 2004

By 

noah thomas gorz (minneapolis, minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of Festivals (Audio CD)

let me start by saying that i, only on rare occation, fall in love with an album on the first listen. and it is these records that seem to wear the quickest on my taste. the last album that i think i bought that i really like right out of the gate and continue to enjoy was the lastest flaming lips record.

so that being said, i liked the song that polyvinyl had up on their site. it was super catchy and poetic and musically pleasing to the ear. a simplistic combo of guitar and banjo, piano, and a vocal melody to make lumberjacks break down and cry. the song is the second track of the album called "tables turn".

the rest of the album is, after several listens, one of the most beautiful, intelligent, profound offerings from any midwest band in this new century. boating sounds that reminise americana and a twang that is almost country, yet utilize computers and synths to make a very modern and hip sound that i could only compare loosly to the likes of thom york fronting the lost dogs produced by the chemical brothers, with out all of the egos. no one instrument overpowers the overall sound on any of the tracks. all of them are present, however, the sound isn't muddy, but rather crystal and sharp, sad and yet crisp.

many of the songs seem to stem from regret of things passed and the hopelessness one feels when confronting these memories. the song My Lighter and Strings ends with the chorus and a haunting final plea:
"but the harder that i try to break these chains
the tighter they get
and the longer that it takes to stop this car
the shorter the ride gets
i'm on the sidelines
keeping the bench warm for you
reserved for old times
with old friends who never seem to age"

Decibully is a band that will only get better with experiance although it is hard to believe that making a better record will come easily.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent CD, April 13, 2004

By 

"darkgraysky" (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of Festivals (Audio CD)

I'll admit it, it took me about a dozen spins before I really warmed up to this album, but after I did, I couldn't stop listening to it! It is really a wonderful, understated release. The lead singer is a unique talent and the band pulls it all together. If you are a fan of Wilco, The Smith, Promise Ring, Death Cab for Cutie, Jeff Buckley, etc....or anywhere in between, check out this album.