Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A multi-faceted diverse album in the truest sense of the word "album", February 19, 2008
Most folks who will stumble across this CD will either be a fan of 7M3 from back when they first released American Standard or wondering what happened to the band that wrote "Cumbersome" and "Water's Edge." Needless to say, this is an album that is for both of those folks alike.
I'll not lie and pretend to be someone I'm not or pretend to be a casual fan. I've been a fan since their first album, but I've been listening to the buzz about this album, and ever since pre-ordering it and receiving it in the mail the other day, it hasn't left my iPod or iTunes. It's an album that's just honestly that good.
Twelve solid tracks that mostly mimic the varying nature of their sophomore release, Rock Crown, the tracks blended somewhere between rock and acoustic feels. My fan-boy nature aside, this album struck me at first listen. I really didn't know what to think of it. I didn't like the flow from song-to-song, and I had to play it again. And on the second listen, I started to get it. I really saw the sonic landscape and it made perfect sense. This album isn't an album that you'll put in for instant gratification--no, not first listen at all--but this is an album that you'll put on to let grow with you. This is what an album should be and could be if more bands focused on their arts--strong collections of songs that you don't want to skip over when you come to them because they don't make sense to listen to in any other order; strong collections of songs that tell stories.
From the first single, "Last Kiss," calling out for remembering love gone by, with other rockers like fan-favorite "Was A Ghost," the rock on this album shines. Distorted guitars rip through, and the lyrics are sparkling above in every sense of form. Softer acoustic tracks like "Things I Stole" and "Hammer & a Stone" throw up the mix and help provide calmer elements to the album. The longing calming nature also is helped out by two songs that border along country sounds, "Upside Down" and "Dreaming Against Me." And long time live show favorites like "Break The Spell," "Strangely at Home Here," and "Dead Days in the Kitchen" receive sparkling live treatments here, shining through with beautifully imagined studio recordings. This album is a treat once you break through the first listen.
This album has been anticipated by fans and casual listeners for about half a year, and all across the country on Sirius radio and other outlets, the vibe behind this album has been very positive. I've been hearing radio reviews where the DJs have been surprised even at the songs. Some of the best songs of their career, this is not an album to pass up. If you even barely liked "Cumbersome" and "Water's Edge" and wondered what happened to those guys, seriously check out this album. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
'Mature' is NOT a Dirty Word, February 23, 2008
At some point in their career, a band must face a crossroads that determines the way they will be perceived by all listeners; either they try to maintain their original fan base by continuing along the well-worn path they already established, or they follow their muse wherever it leads. Seven Mary Three appear to be following their muse, and it has led them quite far from the post-grunge appeal of "Cumbersome." It's a necessary move, and it also turns out to be an artistically successful choice as well. "Day and Night Driving" is chock full of genuinely interesting, well-written songs that stick in your head long after the album ends. Frontman Jason Ross has grown considerably as a songwriter, and it will be a shame if radio isn't hip enough to pick up on a band that too many people are already dismissing as past their prime. On the contrary, this is the band's best collection of songs yet, displaying a sense of maturity that suits a bunch of guys who have been recording for over a decade.
Perhaps a few of their older fans would mock the notion of Seven Mary Three maturing, or seeing the words `folk' or `country' applied to their latest work, so instead, I'll credit their newfound affinity with Americana as the element that provides so much warmth to the new songs. "Dreaming Against Me," "Hammer & a Stone" and "Upside Down" are constructed from timeless elements (including a pedal steel guitar!) that are free from flavor-of-the-week posturing. The underlying theme of "Day and Night Driving" is disillusionment in all its guises, but instead of the anxious ranting that most bands utilize, Seven Mary Three aren't afraid to show that they've grown considerably in the past ten years. Many songs revolve around the theme of a restless home life, and the thought that maybe you ought to be careful what you wish for. "Was a Ghost," "Things I Stole" and "Dead Days in the Kitchen" all convey discomfort with the stasis of settling, but also admit that much of the blame lies with the protagonist. A rueful look into the past also haunts many of the songs. "Last Kiss" and "Things I Stole" open and close the album, and both reflect on what could have been, and what might have been done to make things better. One single couplet in "Hammer and a Stone" artfully summarizes all these themes, when Ross sings, "I'm a page torn from your novel, he's a magnet on your fridge." It's a simple use of metaphor that lingers as the melody carries the song on an emotional journey that resonates. "Strangely at Home Here" is another cleverly written snapshot of a drinker's lament, where solace is found in the comfort of a local bar instead of a home recently abandoned by his partner.
Now the only question is whether an audience can be found for a group that is willing to mature beyond the promise of the recordings that made them famous. "Day and Night Driving" is light years from where the band started, but they have finally won me over. Here's hoping that others will make the same discovery. A- Tom Ryan
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cumbersome to find, but not to listen to, February 21, 2008
The only bad thing about this album was the cumbersome search to find it locally. For a band that started out in Virginia, I have been a bit upset at the lack of availability in the area.
The album itself reminds me of their true beginnings on "Churn". Memories are flooding back as I listen over and over...Lake Matoaka (W&M), Crossroads (aka Trax), the Frat Parties at UVa with the band in the mid-90's, etc. Welcome back boys!
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by Seven Mary Three 
