Customer Reviews

Narcotic

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

 

 

Not too long ago, I randomly came across No Second Troy's first album "Fall," which sadly doesn't seem to be available anymore, and I enjoyed it enough to keep track of this up-and-coming band. (In other words, I'm not a friend or relative of anyone in the band, just a regular person writing an honest review.)

I managed to snag a pre-order of this CD a month or two ago, and I have been LOVING it ever since then. In short, it's moody, poetic rock reminiscent of Remy Zero or a slightly-more-aggressive Coldplay. The album has been in pretty heavy rotation in my car and on my MP3 player, particularly the exposed, acoustic "Into Your Sun", the catchy "In The End," and the hauntingly beautiful title track "Narcotic."

The lead single appears to be "Burned," and while it definitely stands a fighting chance as a single, I think that "The Gardens After Lockout" absolutely NEEDS to get on the radio as soon as possible; it's got beautiful instrumentation, meaningful lyrics, a catchy chorus, tremendous vocal range, and it's been stuck in my head ever since I got this album.

To summarize, this is a wonderful, original rock album that can't be pigeonholed into any category like "indie rock" or whatever -- you'll just have to hear it for yourself.

Three years ago, on a whim- I was surfing AOL's City Guide- looking for something new and exciting to do in DC. I found numerous excellent reviews about a group called "No Second Troy." So- some friends and I wandered into DC fav, Staccato and saw them, live. We were absolutely blown away.

Three years later, I am still a huge fan of No Second Troy and fell in love with their album, Fall. The song, "Teleology" makes me cry everytime I hear it... Upon the release of the CD, Narcotic- I once again fell in love with No Second Troy.

Narcotic is poised, polished- beautifully created. Jeff (lead vocalist) sings with so much conviction. His voice is like a less melancoly version of Coldplay's lead singer- Chris Martin. But please do not compare No Second Troy to other artists- these guys are TRULY unique, amazingly talented. Mike on keyboard... sheer joy to listen to.

How refreshing to find ARTISTS with real, meaningful lyrics behind great vocals and instrumentation.


This album is a MUST!

All the songs on this CD are so listenable and compelling, they're among the most played tunes on my Ipod. I've seen this band perform in the DC area many times, and it is always a pleasure, attended by large raucuous and enthusiastic crowds. They have an amazing stage presence, and are a blast to watch. I have to also add that the band members are some of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet. The bizarre gossip someone posted here about why the original drummer left the band, has zero to do with the real reason they got a new drummer. Anyway, it's a phenomenal CD, and I can only hope there is more where this came from and that their music finds the mass audience it deserves.

I was a HUGE fan of NST until last week when the band kicked out one of its founding members after he told the band that his wife was pregnant.

For those not familiar with the rock band, NST is a milder version of Coldplay (my parents said it reminds them of Bruce Hornsby or Billy Joel, if that helps). I like "Narcotics" - many of the tunes are catchy, the instrumentation is sound, and the singing is nothing special but usually easy to listen to. My favorite track is "Into Your Sun," which reminds me of the some of the best work of the band Matchbox.

I would've given this 3, maybe 4, stars, but I saw NST play a live show in December in Boston. Something about the band just sucked the energy out of the room. No stage presence. There was a good-sized audience, but no one was dancing or even seemed all that excited, except for a few groupies upfront. The music was fine, but you expect a lot more from a live act.

Does anybody know whether Janie's comment is true? If so, I hope the band kicked out the lead singer (or lead guitarist, that would help too - in fact, I might give a star back).

Personally, I recommend Lifehouse or Matchbox instead. Overall, the sounds of those bands are sharper, the songs are great, and if you were to see them live, I think you'd be much more impressed.