Customer Reviews

Home for an Island

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4 star:		(5)
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The new album "Home for an Island" by The Exit may signal the direction that that guitar rock is taking: 'back to the future'. This is "progressive rock". The album does have emo and pop punk influences, but also draws it's strength from the "classic rock" era circa the mid-late 70s and early 80s. In fact, I bet that you could have released this album in 1978 and it would have been played on most progressive rock stations.

The drummer sounds a lot like Neil Pert, the bassist sounds a lot like Sting, The guitarist sounds like lots of people, all good. The band likes to go on "serious jams" (that's a technical term that us rock academics use for extended, improvisational drum and guitar instrumental streaks and solos) some verging on some of the art rock of the 70s.

The song development is fairly involved. The band really goes to town when they write a bridge, I mean some of the bridges are pretty impressive. They also write multiple choruses in the same song. The songs build and build until they reach some pretty indulgent crescendos that would make any arena rocker proud. The title track is a prime example. This way of composing songs in several movements with lots of development and syphonic flare is why I think this album belongs in the Classic Rock genre.

Much of the vocal styles, is rooted in newer sounds of emo and the music is actually pretty original. Another surprise that classic rock fans will welcome is the lyrics, which comment frequently on modern Western culture and politics without being pretentious.

Overall, It's a pretty solid, rockin' album. I cruised around with it in my car for a few weeks. It's leaps above the band's first album, which I don't own, but checked out. There are plenty of good songs on the album. They definitely have potential. If you like serious guitar rock that's not "heavy metal", check it out. Looking forward to The Exit's next installment.

Some recommended tracks IMO (in no particular order): "Don't Push", "Home for an Island", "Let's Go to Haiti", "Darlin'" to start. There's nothing bad on the album. We're talking Good, Better, Best here.

I picked this CD up not exactly expecting what id hear. I was told it was an amazing record, and I was not mislead. Its got a very relaxed vibe to it. With songs like "Dont Push" and "Darlin" it isnt hard to imagine The Exit all over the charts. I am very glad I picked this album up, because it has been stuck in my CD player since I picked it up!

-solo.45

Fans of New Beat beware, Home for an Island is not a pop punk record, it is in fact a better record, a more mature sounding record and one that leaves you with a satisfied feeling after listening...

Their sound has jumped leaps and bounds up from their previous effort which makes for an amazing atmospheric rock feel to it...The reggae inspired riffs provide enough groove to melt the lazer on your cd player right off it's track...

Listen for yourself, my words are just words...

and in a way 'Outlandos d' Amour" the first Police album(& styalistic similaritis abound).Their song writing is good to sometimes great although lyrically they sound a little young, that's not a crime. I first heard the song Back To The Rebels on the Black Rock Coalation compilation CD 'Rock 'N' Roll Reparations' and liked it enough to look them up on amazon and but the CD. THE RYTHYM SECTION SMOKES! If you like the bands that I've mentioned or anyone supported by the BRC check this out.

I don't agree with the 'classic rock' comparisons of another reviewer, i hear funkrock w/ a good bit of punk and reggae done well.

I bought this CD after hearing the first four tracks off their Myspace website. The single "Don't Push" got me curious in the first place and Back To The Rebels and Home For An Island finished it off. Those 4 tracks remain the best ones on the CD and the rest of the album had to grow on me. That being said, I still love their other songs. One thing you definately get with The Exit is a CD full of songs unique to themselves. You have the harmonica driven Soldier and So Leave Then is peppered with the Saxophone. Overall I love they created 10 catchy songs that are unique. This type of music wasn't my type of thing until recently and I do not regret buying this. It can be found relatively cheap online but even then I'd pay $15 for it if I had to. If you find your way to their Myspace page and like the 4 tracks then this CD is for you.

With the current infestation of the music industry with all the teenie-bopper Emo/Rap/Punk crap that is out there right now, it is a huge relief to hear an original band that raises the bar to claim their own unique sound. These bands are few and far between and The Exit's "Home For An Island" accomplishes just that. This is just one of those album's that makes you want to go back to the record store and buy ten more copies just so you can hand them out to your friends. Most of the songs on this album sound much different from each other, but these songs flow together to make for a whole sounding album after a complete listen-through. The lyrics paint a picture perfect portrait of life in America in this day and age.

Must buy album.

I'll say it right now: More people need to know about The Exit. "Home For an Island" is mature, complex, and altogether satisfying. Since it's so original, it's hard to pinpoint into a genre, but to give you an idea, it's some sort of reggae/alternative/progressive hybrid.

The musicality is damn impressive. In addition to all the normal instruments, you'll hear harmonicas, cowbells, congas, and even steel drums littered throughout. Ben on guitar is wonderfully dynamic, going from tasteful acoustic accompaniment on "Soldier" to plugged-in and aggressive in "Let's Go To Haiti". Jeff shines on bass too, especially on "Already Gone". And then there's Gunnar, who is an absolutely PHENOMENAL drummer. Listen to the bridges of "Home For an Island" and "Darlin" if you don't believe me. He's so good that Jeff can't help but shout "GUNNAR!" at 0:58 of "Let's Go to Haiti". Jeff and Ben trade vocals, with Ben's light, unique voice taking the odd-number tracks and Jeff's sort of somber tone taking the evens. Their voices could not be anymore different, but they complement each other very well.

It opens with "Don't Push", a reggae-groove oriented song with some straight rock thrown into the bridge. It's a fantastic song, and the first you should listen to if you want to take a chance on this band. "Let's Go To Haiti" goes full-speed ahead, 2 1/2 short minutes of guitars and drums and rock. And i LOVE the line where they mention the title: "We ain't learning here.....Let's Go To Haiti". "Back to the Rebels" is great, simply because I love swing-oriented grooves in 6/8. "Home For an Island" is a definite album highlight, with a slower tempo and introspective lyrics that probably hit home for a lot of people. "Pressure Cooker" picks it back up, fueled by offbeat guitar and Gunnar's rim shots. "Tell Me All Again" is one of my favorites. It's fun and upbeat, but halfway through it transitions into a beautiful, almost tranquil bridge. The "aaaaaaaahhhhh"s are to die for. We continue forward through the midtempo swing-rocker "The Sun Will Rise In Queens", the striking and memorable acoustic ballad "Soldier", "Warm Summer Days", and "Darlin", a catchy, swinging tune that will probably be your favorite the first time you listen to the album. And finally, we arrive at the zenith of the album, the two-song combo of "So Leave Then" and "Already Gone". I still can't decide which one is better; all I know is that they're my two favorite songs on the album. The bass and guitar create and absolutely beautiful foundation for both, topped off by superb vocals by both singers. They close out an incredible album in a grand way.

Conclusion:
If you're frustrated with the increasingly formulaic nature of today's music, chances are you'll like "Home For An Island", a remarkable album filled with complex song structures and layered instrumentation. Don't be surprised if it doesn't hook you the first time, because it doesn't rely on the typical verse/catchy chorus/verse/catchy chorus. But if you have some patience, you'll discover the wonderful things it has to offer. I'll contrast it with another CD I just got done reviewing, Trapt's "Only Through The Pain", a CD you listen to and just feel empty afterwards. "Home For An Island" will, instead, leave you refreshingly full, feeling like you've just gone on a breathtaking journey, and you'll look forward to doing it all again.

Standouts: "Don't Push", "Home For an Island", "Tell Me All Again", "So Leave Then", "Already Gone"

Any fan of rock music, especially in the vain of Sublime, The Police, or the RX Bandits would dig The Exit's 1st album sense of style, their melding of classic rock, raggae, and pop/rock/alternative. But this 2nd album of theirs comes a long way from the first song I ever heard by The Exit "Susan", which was on the American Pie Movie Soundtrack almost 10 years ago.

It's actually really strange, being 17 then and 25 now, and hearing where this band went with their sound. Obviously the production is better, but this record sounds so mature, so polished. Much like the 1st reviewer, I thought their first cd was good - VERRRY POLICEY - everything about it from the bass, to the guitar, to the singers voice was Police. So I enjoyed that albums creativity being that it came out along with the Punk Pop movement, but it wasn't polished or mature sounding. But with this album "Home For An Island", I get a completely different feeling.

To help the possible purchaser and clear up any confusion (since I know I had some), this CD was first released on Some Records in 2004 and then re-released with a few more tracks on Wind Up Records in 2005, which is the version you're checking out right now. I've checked out both versions and there are some differences. Other than the track order being totally different, I noticed a few of the tracks, such as "So Leave Then", are different versions altogether on each cd. I enjoyed both versions, but it seems like this Wind Up Records release has more extended versions, and the extra tracks are all good, so I would go with this one.

The music is still heavily Police influenced which is never a bad thing, but now contains so much more of this chill, summer night, jam band feel. And to give you a feel of where I'm coming from, I like Rock-Punk-Alternative...any band that can meld Melody w originality...such as Millencolin, The Eels, Wheat, or Andrew WK to name a few. So I have a wide variety of taste, but generally am not a big fan of Raggae, Sublime, or any of what I consider The Exit's genre of music. But with this cd, its all of those things - its Pop, its Radio, but its Sublime and chill, jam music too. Its this perfect melding of pop and art, and I really can't imagine a person not enjoying this cd, even if its as background music. I feel like my 55 year old father would enjoy this cd, but so would my 18 year old cousin smoking pot and hanging out with friends by the lake in the summer.

There's a smoothness and calmness to the singer's voice that make it impossible to find annoying, and the same goes for the music. I'm an experienced musician, especially in "guitar music", and am throughly impressed by the intricacies of this CD, and kinda can't believe this CD didn't create a bigger splash in 05' or 06'. To give you another and more professional opinion, just check out allmusic.com, which is AMG, the most established and reputable CD reviewer on the planet, and see what they say about this cd. If you check their review out, they can't say enough about it either, giving it a rare 4.5/5 rating, a it's one of their recommended staff picks. Flat out, if I was a large record label, this is the first band I'd sign after hearing this cd. If The Exit is still together now (now being 2008), I can't wait until they "enter" back onto the scene.

I bought this CD after reading a Modern Drummer review. A quick listen and I put it aside for a few months. I listened to it again the other day and thought if I didn't like it I'd take it in for resale. Don't know what I was thinking about the first time I listened, but I'm sure glad I gave it another go. This is a great CD. Great songs, superb playing from all band members. The drumming is stellar. They will probably be compared to the Police most likely. They do have similarities but are not Police clones. You can hear punk, reggae, and fusion mixtures in the songs.

It's a shame we don't get to hear from these guys on radio/tv. I don't understand it. We get left over grunge, rap, emo, teeny pop crudd shoved in our face for how long? A lot of very good songs and playing here. The best? "Let's go to Haiti", "Home for an Island" (like the Police and U2 combined), "Warm Summer Days". Other good songs, "Tell Me All Again", "So Leave Then", "Pressure Cooker", "Back to the Rebels", and "Already Gone". I'm not a great writer/reviewer, so I probably am not doing these guys justice. But if you are looking for something different than business as usual per radio and tv, give these guys a try. They deserve it.

If Rhythm sections are your thing, look no further than these boys. The drummer is in the same vein as Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Mark Brezecki, and Keith Moon. Absolutely thunderous. The base lines are crist and ultra tight. The guitar is jangly and crunchy.

As for the style..... the over riding sound is rock, and they certainly do jam. But the reggae sounds that are remnisient of the Police rear their heads at just the right moments.

this album was a champion find at a time when this sound needed to be heard. Enjoy every minuet, and play it loud.

Steve