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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Stavesacre record we've all been waiting for, April 19, 2006
"How to Live with a Curse" is the Stavesacre record we've all been waiting for.
While this album could be described as a deft combination of the things Stavesacre has done best on each of their previous albums, that would be a severe understatement. This is anything but business as usual.
When you listen to "How to Live with a Curse", you hear the current lineup finding their sound and their voice. You hear the answer to a question that I know many have been thinking but have been afraid to ask: "Where does this band fit in music today?" Most importantly, us longtime fans get to hear the record that we have been waiting for since the departure of Jeff Bellew, the band's original guitarist and the creative force behind the unique sound of the first two records. As much as I loved Speakeasy, it lacked the edge and experimental sound that made Stavesacre so hard to categorize. The band seemed to ease into the comfort of being just another hard-rock act. The music got even less challenging on their self-titled release, the band's fourth proper full-length, on Nitro Records. But all along, I knew that another Stavesacre existed. And the one I envisioned is the one we hear now, and everything else is a thing of the past.
To start things off, we hear Mark Salomon's distinct voice crying out, I'm not looking for a reason to believe. There could be no more appropriate line to open a Stavesacre record, because this is where the strength of his song writing has always been. As for why he's not looking for a reason to believe, well, that's territory that's already been charted (if this is unfamiliar to you, go back and listen to the band's first four records). Rather, Salomon's new challenge lies in seeing it through, sticking it out when times get tough. The concept of long-suffering has always been central to Stavesacre's material.
"It's Beautiful Once Your Out Here" sets the tone of "How to Live with a Curse". This one's about freedom and release, plain and simple. For those of us who have been "Out Here", we recognize it is a frightening place. Within the unknown lies a challenge; danger, and no guarantee of happiness. But it's also where freedom lives, which is why it's so Beautiful.
But without ugliness, there would be no beauty. On the third track, the band lashes out. This can't be all that there is. Wake us up when the bombs stop dropping. We say, we say tell us when it's over. In the past, I suspect Solomon has shied away from being pegged as any one generation's "voice", but on this song he changes course. I couldn't be happier that Stavesacre has ventured out into this realm; in the past the lyrics have focused primarily on relationships. With all that is going on in the world today, it's good to have an intelligent and concerned voice like Solomon's speaking up.
Lush melodies are here as well, which can be heard on songs like "Fear and Love" and the beautiful centerpiece "Grace". A tear-jerker reminiscent of Speakeasy's "Gold and Silver", "Grace" really shows off the band's exploration of the concept of long-suffering I described earlier. Grace, are you hanging on for me? Tell me it's true, you still do? Come back around this way.
Tracks like "The Trouble with Being Born" and the "Future History of the Broken Hearted" give us what we need to shout along. This is where you'll find those hard and heavy rock riffs we've come to love from this band; that signature Stavesacre groove, pumped along by the thick chugging of Dirk Lemmene's bass.
Effects are used tastefully throughout, enhancing the quality of the song writing while never distracting. Too many bands are content to see what kind of strange noises they can come up with and then try to build a song around them, which always sounds gimmicky. Stavesacre, never ones to hide behind effects pedals, goes at it the hard way. Great songs are written first and then they pick and choose from their arsenal, only enhancing the feeling and emotion they wish to convey. Equally intriguing is the use of piano on "Sean", another example of the type of sound the band really stretched artistically to make.
"Kill My Darlings" brings a close to this ambitious project by recapping the themes laced without. It jumps off a cliff into the unknown, both lyrically and musically. When the music cuts out, leaving only Sam West's drum beat behind, you know you are about to discover something you suspected but were too afraid to look into on your own. Perfection begins when it hurts, and that's how to live with a curse.
A review of this work wouldn't be complete without mentioning it's accompanying artwork, because it really adds another dimension to the songs. Put together by a few different artists, the pictures inside give the listener some great visuals that do the music a lot of justice. Good album artwork is something else that's been missing since the first two records, so it's worth going out and buying the actual record just to have it.
This record is essentially a chronicle of what exactly it means to live with a "curse". While the source of this "curse" is never explicitly revealed on the album, I have a feeling I know what it is.
I won't reveal what exactly it is; that would spoil the surprise, and I'm sure you'd much rather figure it out on your own.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Two months later..., June 29, 2006
This CD has been out for over two months now and I feel ready to write a review. Like all Stavescare records (except Speakeasy), this one has taken me awhile to wrap my ears around. Don't get me wrong: I knew I liked it from the beginning, but it takes time with each record to figure out where it fits in their catalogue.
After the return to form that was the Bull Takes Fighter EP, fans were justifiably hopeful for a record that ranks up there with the first three - Friction, Absolutes and Speakeasy. This album delivers, even if we do find a more polished pop-rock sound in places.
The first half of the CD seems especially written for the pop music crowd that can handle a catchy rock song now and again. It's these first five songs that took the longest to appreciate. Why? Because they seem written with an agenda - to draw in even the most casual of listeners. Over time, however, the catchiness serves its purpose well; you'll find yorself wanting to hear 'em all again and again. This is no more evident than on the confident masterpiece that is Fear And Love. Sure, it's all out pop-rock, but it's such a blast to listen to that you can't help admire Stavesacre for writing and recording it.
Midway through the album, there is a shift. Beginning with Future History Of The Brokenhearted, the admired Stavesacre of old really emerges. The last half of the album finds the band writing with no intended audience or purpose other than to craft cool, diverse songs. The aforementioned Future History is as heavy as anything the band has ever done. The tender Grace follows, and captures the beauty of Mark's voice; it will bring a tear to your eye. You Made It Look So Easy is reminiscent of Wither/Ascend - a slow, brooding track that explodes at the end. A few solid rockers follow, before the album closes in new territory with Sean and Kill My Darlings.
Sean is a haunting little ballad (sorta) with cool effects and a simple piano line. You have to hear it to believe it. Kill My Darlings ends the album in classic fashion. It has a U2-esque beginning (think Where The Streets Have No Name) and perfectly captures the struggle, experience and passion that this band has personified over the years.
A few final points... The is the absolute best Staevsacre has ever sounded on CD. The production is superb and the simple and tasteful programming and effects intermixed throughout offer a new dimension to their sound. The packaging is also to be commended; great artwork fills the fold-out booklet and captures the essence of each song. Lyrically, it's not as strong as Absolutes or Speakeasy, but Mark Salomon is still one of the best out there. Some have complained about the political nature of a couple tracks, but why shouldn't an artist as intelligent as Mark get to write about whatever he want to write about? His vocal performance is as strong as ever.
So, where does this album rank in their impressive but vastly underappreciated history: I say it could be considered "Friction 2006" because it is a pretty varied mix of mellow and heavy. Definitely catchier overall than Friction, but more stylistically varied than Absolutes and Speakeasy. Speakeasy is my favorite Stavesacre record, but after that, this new effort, for me, is as good as Friction and Absolutes. Just give it some time, let it sink in, and it will grow on you.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finest Effort to date, April 2, 2007
We all know Mark best from his days in the Christian/crossover band, The Crucified. Years later his lyrics still continue to inspire me. If your a fan of the Crucified, you know that the difference between The Crucified and Stavesacre is that they slowed things down a bit. But to me, it still delivers that hardcore punch, but in the same vein as bands such as Quicksand. Its defiently their finest effort to date in my opinion, and one album not to be missed!
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