Customer Reviews

Everything Goes Numb

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Streetlight Manifesto is in a sense, a ska "supergroup," uniting the biggest names of the New Jersey Ska scene together. However, they are by no means the stereotypical supergroup. Everything Goes Numb is a masterpiece; creatively blending in various genres of music with some of the best lyrics I have ever seen on top of the instrumental wizardry demonstrated by each of its members. Josh Ansley (bass), Jamie Egan (trumpet/trombone/tuba, live trumpet), Mike Soprano (live trombone), and Tomas Kalnoky (guitar/songwriting/vocals), (all of Catch-22 fame), join forces with Paul Lowndes (drums), Jim Conti (Alto/Tenor sax, clarinet), and Dan Ross (Alto/Bari Sax). To veteran ska fans, Everything Goes Numb sounds like a natural continuation of Catch-22's hit album, Keasbey Nights. This shouldn't come as a surprise as over half the band is comprised of old Catch-22, and according to frontman kalnoky, Everything Goes Numb is the second chapter of The Keasbey Diaries, of which Keasbey Nights was the first. Everything Goes Numb, is by far, the best ska cd I have ever heard; I'm hesistant to even call it ska as its not just "punk w/ horns" as ska has come to be known, rather it blends punk with classical, jazz, and a number of other genres to create a unique fusion. Tomas Kalnoky does an amazing job on vocals, with rapid-fire singing reminiscent of his Catch-22 days, and college seems to have greatly increased his songwriting capabilities; his lyrics are some of the best I have ever seen. The horn section is the real gem of the band; rather large for even a ska band and playing intricate solos, they are arguably more important to the band than the guitars are. Anyway, now onto the actual review of the album:

Everything Goes Numb- 5/5 This opening track starts with dueling saxophones before the rest of the band enters with a BANG. Fast, energetic, with wonderful vocals and lyrics, the listener is immediately reminded of vintage Catch-22 as they mark their reentrance to rock after a long hiatus. This track just gives a taste of Streetlight's virtuoso horn section.

That'll Be the Day- 5/5 The heaviest track on the album, the guitar and bass are more prominent with heavier riffs. The horns parts are more aggressive, the imagery depicted by Kalnoky's lyrics are just amazing, and the memorable chorus will be stuck in your head for a while after hearing this.

Point/Counterpoint- 4.8/5 A crowd favorite, notably for its resemblence to Catch-22's song, Keasbey Nights (also written by Kalnkoy). Like its predescesor, it starts off with acoustic guitar before the entrance of horns. The structure of the song and the lyrical content is strikingly similar to Keasbey Nights. The members of Streetlight probably figured this out to; at live shows, they break into Keasbey Nights halfway into the song before finishing up the second half of point/counterpoint.

If and When We Rise Again- 4/5 A minute of guitar effects and light drumming in the beginning before the horns come in. The bari sax plays a cool horn line from Brahm's Hungarian Dance No. 5.

A Better Place, a Better Time- 4/5 The longest song on the album, clocking in at over 6 mins. This song is just beautiful, the lyrical work on this song is just amazing. Overall, it is rather slower than the pervious songs, but it speeds up occassionally.

We Are the Few- 4.5/5 Another crowd favorite, it has a very catchy chorus that is fun to sing along to. The mid-section to the ending is the best part.

Failing Flailing- 4/5 This song took a while to grow on me, as the beginning playful horn parts seemed cheesy and childish. Upon more listens, my liking for it greatly increased. The best part is the end with three different choruses being simultaneously sung, including the addictive, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me, and it's been years but still I fear that someday they'll desert me...."

Here's to Life- 5/5 A reprise of the original that was recorded by Streetlight's side project, Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution (also fronted by Kalnoky). The song is strongly anti-suicide, and demonstrate's Kalnoky's lyrical prowess as he pays tribute to his favorite authors and artists that killed themselves.

A Moment of Silence- 5/5 This song is epic; there is no other word to describe it. This songs is probably the slowest on the album, it takes a ballad-like approach as Kalnoky sings a tribue to the "losers and cynicists." Needless to say, it contains great lyrical working. Also notable about this song, is that it contains a subliminal and interpretable retort at Catch-22 with the line "If you hate me so much, then stop singin my songs" (Catch-22 still sings the hits off of Keasbey Nights and are often criticized for living off of the fame of Kalnoky's songs)

A Moment of Violence- 3.5/5 Not much to say about this song, its a reprise of A Moment of Silence that is taken at a much faster tempo with aggressive and accented vocals.

The Saddest Song- 3.8/5 Returns to the fast upbeat styling of the previous songs with kind of a "chin up" feel. Kalnoky returns to his rapid fire vocals once more.

The Big Sleep- 4.5/5 Wonderful closer to the album, it starts of slow before increasing speed. A perfect way to say goodbye, as you will see when you listen to the lyrics.

On a final note, I urge you to go out and actually by this album rather than pirate it; There is not one song on here that is worth missing, and these guys deserve support for their work.

Truly, few debut albums are as complete and fulfilling as this one. Most of the time they are mere indications of a bands coming glory. Not the case of Streetlight Manifesto. This debut cd is truly a masterpiece. Why? A variety of reasons. The band itself is formed from the best of two other ska groups, old Catch 22 and One Cool Guy. From Catch 22 there is Josh Ansley (bass), Jamie Egan (trumpet) and Tomas Kalnoky (guitar, vocals & songwriting). From One Cool Guy there is Chris Thather (drums), Jim Conti (tenor sax), Dan Ross (bari sax), and Mike Saprano (trombone.)

Kalnoky is truly the heart of the band. His guitar playing is not necessarily anything special in itself, though it is still good. His vocals, however, are where he shines the most, having refined his voice and brought it to new more angry and energetic heights since "Keasby Knights." His song writing is extremely origonal and diverse. Songs do not follow cliched patterns of verse-chorus-verse. You never know what to expect. Also, Kalnoky's lyrics are absolutely incredible - a good friend of mine made the observation that they were almost as good as radiohead's (that's pretty good). The other sections of the band are equally amazing. Thather on drums is easily one of the most talented contemporary drummers and goes from style to style as he plays. John Ansley is also a terrific bassist with some of the most ingenuitive lines i have ever heard. And finally, the horn section is what gives streetlight their power. Unlike other ska bands nowadays, the horn section does not have "corny" horn lines or only come out with occasional bursts here and there. Streetlight features very complex horn parts which define the sound of the band, and the horns very often have terrific solos. All that having been said this makes for a truly terrific band. In case you were not interested to read those top paragraphs, here is a song by song review.


1. Everything Went Numb. A wonderful opener. Extremely catchy, great lyrics, very fast singing, and a terrific horn break makes this my third favorite on the album. 10/10

2. That'll Be the Day. I didn't like this one at first, perhaps because the beggining was not too appealing. Upon listening to this track more i found that i loved it. At times one of the harder tracks, with a great chorus that you and your pals will be singing for days. 9/10

3. Point/Counterpoint. One of the most popular songs on this album, it's not suprising why. Basically as others have said it is a contiuation of the song "Keasby Knights". Acoustic based in the beggining and it picks up the pace. More great lyrics and one liners here, though I don't think this possesses the same magic that others possess. 9/10.

4. If and When We Rise. A very interesting begging of almost a minute in length in which the guitar bass and drums build up to a final outburst of horns, and then burst into the bulk of the song. Fast paced and with a great horn break towards the end. 9/10.

5. A Better Place, A Better Time. This song tones it down a notch or two, althought the middle section is pretty hard. It's an anti-suicide song, and unlike other anti-suicide songs it makes you want to keep going. The chorus is very beautiful. 9.5/10.

6. We Are the Few. Another favorite of many. Great chorus, but the really good part is in the breakdown in the middle with soft yet anthematic lyrics. The ending is also quite enjoyable. 9/10

7. Failing, Flailing. Quite possibly the weakest song on the album, but still good! The horn parts are in this song a little corny at parts, plus lots of the meledy is borrowed from the middle section of "A Better Place/Time" but not as good. Even so it does have some good moments - esepcially, as reviewer root noted (good call), the ending. 7.5/10

8. Here's to Life. An amazing song. Quiet intro that prepares you for the coming greatness. Horn parts are persistent throughout, and they are verry good. Top notch acoustic playing at parts. Also the lyrics are truly amazing, with numerous references to famous authors and literary characters, i.e. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger, Camus, Hemingway. Terrific bassline. A magnificent song, my second favorite on the album. 10/10.

9. Moment of Silence. If there was one song that could follow up Here's to life, this certainly is it. The begging is trumpet fanfare that remind me of a medieval court type thing. Bass and drum fill follows. And then he proceeds with the lyrics which are truly amazing. How a person comes up with lyrics so good and beautiful is mind boggling. You'll have to listen to this song to get it. 10/10, my favorite on the album

10. Moment of Violence. The theme here is a louder more "violent" reprise of Moment of Silence. While the theme is good, the song itself is just average, nowhere near the greatness of "Silence". It's still nothing you would want to skip. 7/10

11. The Saddest Song. More good lyrics, very fast much like "Everythign Went Numb". good chorus also. a solid song. 8.5/10.

12. The Big Sleep. Perfect Conclusion to a terrific album. Starts out quiet and gets loud at parts. His lyrics are very easy to understand and portray terrific imagery. 9/10.


You may have noted that I gave quite high reviews to almost all of these songs. I'm not an easy grader. This album truly is that magnificent. Even if you're not a big ska fan, you must buy this album. It is almost inconceivable that you will not like it to some extent. If you haven't already, sprint to the nearest music store and purchase this cd, made by God and handed directly to streetlight manifesto.

This band is the fourth and in my opinion best project tomas kalnoky has been involved with. This album is one of the only albums i can listen to in its entirety and not skip a track. i know the lyrics to every song and some of the beats in a way. its a great album.

1. Everything went numb:9/10 great song.. good start to any day great intro great verse great chorus.. end of story
2. That'll be the day:9/10 they opened with this when i saw them and the crowd reaction was just amazing.. great message
3.Point/Counterpoint:9/10 kind of a continuation of Keasbey Nights, this song is what got me into SM
4. If and When We Rise: 8/10 when i first heard this song i would usually skip over it but its become one of my most favorite tracks
5. A Better Place, A Better Time: 9/10 a bit long but its great, slow opening and slowly picks up speed and erupts into a nice ska tune
6. We Are the Few: 9/10 prolly best song to see/hear live. kind of a tribal unity type thing i guess lol
7. Failing Flailing: 9/10 great first minute of pure instrumental, the end of the song with the sort of round robin thing is pretty cool too
8.Here's to life: 9/10 my second favorite track. heart pounding adrenaline with a beautiful bridge section with the horns
9. A Moment of Silence: 9/10 the beginning of the "doubletrack" i guess u could call it A Moment Of Silence/Violence.. my favorite song by this band.. basically about how catch 22 got famous off of toms songs and whatnot.. nice and slow track beautiful lines
10. A Moment of Violence: 9/10 after AMOS sets down a slow pace this song comes in and just knocks you over.. when they played these two live.. ppl who werent familiar with the band didnt realize what was about to erupt and were taken by surprise as the pits exploded.. great song to pump adrenaline
11. Saddest Song: 9/10 an Anti-Suicide song.. a popular theme in kalnoky's writing. on the demo the song ends and the horns do some little cool jazzy stuff
12. The Big Sleep: 9/10 a love song no doubt.. a good song to witness live while everyone shouts out the "na na na na na na"'s

in conclusion... this cd is the best thing that has happened to the east coast.. nay,planet earth. haha just buy the cd

This is far and wide the best ska album ever assembled, it leaves even the near-holy Keasbey Nights eating it's dust. It is just hypnotically amazing, I can listen to it for days upon days. There is not one second of music that is not amazing. Some people may say some bands 'have anthemic choruses' but it could not be more true about Streetlight, I will now review each track.

Everything Went Numb - Right off the bat we can see that Streetlight is very heavy on the horns, which is okay, because their horns are probably the best in the business. Many people have connected this track with '9mm and a Three Piece Suit' from Keasbey Nights.

That'll Be the Day - As this song starts there is some uncharacteristic of ska heavy guitar, it's a change of pace, and it is good, it is very good.

Point/Counterpoint - Possibly the best song on the album, many people have called it a sequel of sorts to Keasbey Nights and called the songs very similar, if you are interested try singing the choruses over each other.

If and When We Rise Again - This song has an exceptional introduction, the song itself is very good, once again heavy hornplay.

We Are the Few - My personal favorite song off the album, contains my favorite lyrics in any song, a very well written song, "As the day fades, no one investigates, nobody answers when she calls his name, another victim somewhere in a shallow grave"

A Better Place, A Better Time - This song is just hypnotic, it is amazing, a very well-written anti-suicide song, you can feel it in the way the song is played.

Failing, Flailing - A very catchy tune not much to say persnoally, but it is very, very good.

Here's to Life - Another anti-suicide song, this one shows that Tomas is very intelligent, it contains very many people who he looks up to that just couldn't handle life making mention of Hemingway, Vincent Van Gough, JD Salinger among others, gets his message across beautifully.

A Moment of Silence/A Moment of Violence - 2 Tracks, one message, the heck with Catch-22. Tomas really shows that he has better plans for his life than feel down about Catch. A Moment of Silence is sort of slow compared to the other songs, but is still good, once more heavy use of the horns, A Moment of Violence really picks it up with heavy guitar riffs.

The Saddest Song - Another song that is extremely catchy, it sounds chippy and happy but has such depressing lyrics, bittersweet. if the concept really exists, this is the best example.

The Big Sleep - This song is amazing, you just have to step back, most people love a different part because they can relate to certain parts, it is really a work of art.if you listen to this song you will almost always find at least one part you can never stop singing.

Because it is seriously amazing. It's not as fast as Kalnoky's previous work in Catch-22, but it carries a much more refined sound. The songs are more heartfelt, profound and arranged than anything I have heard in a long time, especially out of the ska scene. Though some of the intros are hit or miss, when the songs pick up, they are thoroughly amazing. Pick this up, NOW.

I've had this CD for 3 years now and I never get sick of it. I've seen Streetlight Manifesto in concert twice and they're even better live then on CD. I can't get over this awesome CD. If you think this CD is great then also check out and try to find a band called Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution. It was a side project Tomas did before he formed SM. They even did the song "Here's to Life". Also check out the re-release of Keasbey Nights the SM version. It's the same album as the Catch 22 release but it's done by SM and sounds a LOT better and some songs have extra lyrics to them.

I was familiar with Catch 22 before I knew of Streetlight, and I loved Keasbey Nights (and still do). But Catch's later stuff, after Thomas left, doesn't do it for me. So when my friend told me Thomas had formed another band after leaving Catch, I was immediately interested.

Holy crap. Everything Goes Numb is one of the best albums I've ever heard. I love it even more than Keasbey Nights. This album has so much to offer, it's amazing. Even if you aren't too into ska, buy this album. It will blow your mind.

There isn't even a way to adequately describe it. Streetlight's sound is so full and rich, and their horn riffs are so complex, that this album will quickly rise to be one of your favorites. I listen to it every day, and simply can't get enough. It's so ridiculously good, you won't believe your ears.

So even if you aren't a ska fan, buy this album. And if you are a ska fan and don't own this, immediately buy it. Because Streetlight Manifesto are the best third wave ska band out there. They're like gods in the world of ska.

(ok, this cd i'll actaully take the time to review each song because i think there's really only one flaw in the cd. but you need to read the whole review to find out what it is.)

1.Everything Went Numb- **** 1/2 great song, just gets a tad old

2.That'll Be The Day- ***** (i cant really describe this song)

3.Point/Counterpoint- ***** best song on this cd. sssoooo catchy

4.Color Coded Quotes- **** another great song, i just dont like
the intro that much

5.We Are The Few- ***** probably the 2nd best song, just as catchy as point/counterpoint

6.A better place, A better time- **** romantic ska (sorta) but it still is good, it picks up speed too late in the song

7.Failing, Flailing- **** 1/2 its a good song but it contains the one flaw on the cd, when tom holds out the word "fine" i think it sounds terrible

8.Here's To Life- ***** it is a great song, but try to listen to the bandits of the acoustic revolution version (it's better)

9.A Moment of Silence- ***** great song and you can actually relate to it

10. A Moment of Violence- **** its basicly a shorter/faster version of "a moment of silence"

11.Saddest Song- *** 1/2 it still is a good song but it just doesnt compare to everything else on this cd

12.Big Sleep- ***** 3rd best song on this cd


I love this cd. i actually listen to it MORE than keasbey nights. other than that one flaw ("ffffffffffffffffffiiinnee") its just about a perfect cd. and truthfully, i dont mind listening to the saddest song but i just like everything else on the cd more.

For you people that for some odd reason dont like catch 22's newer stuff (even "alone in a crowd"), you'll love streetlight. my friend (a huge c22 fan) doesnt like tom's vocals nor the horns in streetlight manifesto but even he admits that tom is a lyrical genious.
Was i the only one who noticed that this seems like a ska opera? seriously like everysong has similarities and is about the mob/mafia. if this really is a ska/punk opera, i think this is the best rock opera out there.

buy this cd, listen to this cd, love this cd.

This cd is the best cd that i have ever heard in my entire life! Keasbey Nights was a sweet album and so was A Call To Arms (Bandits Of The Acoustic Revolution), which both had the same singer/songwriter/guitarist, bassist, and saxiphonist. But this cd beats the crap out of those cds. Tom is the best songwriter in the world and i think that he is a very good singer too. The guitar playing is good, but doesnt stand out, but thats ok. Their bassist has some awesome bass lines and he is very good. The drums are completely insane and he is the best drummer that i have ever heard. Their horn section is the best horn section ever, the horn lines that they have are the most complicated horn lines that i have ever heard. Well here are reviews on each song.

Everything Went Numb: A really good opener that is very heavy on the horns. Though it may be great, it doesnt catch my attention as much as some of the other songs on here. (9/10)

That'll Be The Day: Another really good track with a really heavy guitar begenning and then it goes into ska. Another song that doesnt catch my attention as much as others on here. (9/10)

Point/Counterpoint: AWESOME! Basically a second part to the song
Keasbey Nights, but its way better! (10/10)

If and When We Rise Again: Pretty cool. Has an experimental intro to the song. Worst on the cd in my opinion, but still really good. (8/10)

A Better Place, A Better Time: The best song EVER written. An anti-suicide song and a very good one. Starts off slow but speeds up a lot. (15/10)

We Are The Few: Really good. Second best on the cd. The lyrics are awesome and have a lot of thought and emotion put into them. I really like how they have tom's voice switching speakers when
you listen to it. Awesome song. (10/10)

Failing, Flailing: Another awesome song. Really good lyrics. I like how they have 3 people singing 3 different parts at the same time. (10/10)

Here's To Life: A redone version of the B.O.T.A.R. version. Really good, but i like B.O.T.A.R.'s version better. (10/10)

A Momment Of Silence/A Momment Of Violence: Two tracks, one song, its about Catch 22. Catch 22 made fun of them for leaving with the song "Point The Blame" and Streetlight did this one back. Awesome lyrics, and awesome song(s). (10/10)

The Saddest Song: Back to the super-fast Streetlight style. Sad lyrics but the music is pretty happy sounding. Sorta like what Reel Big Fish would do, but a lot faster with better lyrics and horns and bass and drums. (10/10)

The Big Sleep: A very sad love song. Great lyrics (like every other Streetlight song). A Great way to end an awesome album. (10/10)

This is the best cd ever and i highly reccomend you to buy it.

ARTIST: Streetlight Manifesto
ALBUM: Everything Goes Numb
GENRE: Ska/Punk
INFLUENCES: Catch 22, Operation Ivy, jazz, The Mars Volta (in a way maybe only I understand...) etc

Arright, well, this album comes from a bunch of dudes who've been around the ska scene. Basically, Streetlight Manifesto is a supergroup. And their debut, Everything Goes Numb is a super album (forgive the lameness).

So what does this sound like? Well, ska is typically associated with pop-punk and horns, and candy-coated lyrics (ie: Reel Big Fish), but this stuff is progressive. It pushes the boundaries of a genre not known for extensive musical creativity. The song structures are easily the most complex in the genre, and are more complex than most mainstream rock. As a trumpet player, I can honestly tell you these horn parts are complicated, intricate, and damn melodic. See, Streetlight Manifesto doesn't use guitars for their main melodic instruments, they use their monstrously talented horn section. And honestly, the horn-lines they've written for this album are sweet. They're fast, melodic, and catchy. To top that off, each song typically has an "A melody" and a "B melody" which tend to be equally good. And no, I don't call the bridge the "B melody". I can't really explain how sick these horn parts are, they're just really good. Anyway, the rest of the band rocks hard too. The bass player is quite talented and lays down some grooves behind the brassy chaos of the melody, and the guitar player is competent, just laying down your basic ska strumming, though in the few parts he gets to show off, he steps up. The drummer, meanwhile, is completely out of his mind, jumping from jazz to hiphop to punk beats on a dime, and w/equal skill. His variety and energy in playing, his drum breaks, and his really sweet fills add another dimension to an already great album. And oh yeah, the lyrics are sweet. Have fun understanding the vocalist though (in a good way, cause he sings so damn fast)...

I'd like to say that this band fuses many different styles in their creation of this ska masterpiece. You'll hear some jazz, some punk, some swing, some hardcore, some whatever. It's more than a ska album if you ask me. Oh yeah, and the reason I think they sound like The Mars Volta is cause of the dynamic nature of the music, and the fusion of soft and loud, and the various mood changes in a song.

Ok, so thats the music idea behind Streetlight Manifesto. A lot of the songs use the same or similar song structures, although, as I said, they are still fairly complex. Occasionally, OCCASIONALLY, the album can get boring cause the songs are really only differentiated by the various breakdowns, and the horn melodies. But for me, I have never really been able to put it on w/o listening straight through.
It is easily the best ska album in existence, and I think will appeal to people who don't listen to ska. I would advise anybody to check out this album, it is fast, catchy, melodic, and fun. Sweet stuff. The only drawback is the last 2 songs. The album could've done without them, as they are just more of the same after the huge change of pace of "Moment of Silence".

Awesome album. Peace.