Customer Reviews

Nothing Venture

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's just put it this way... if my house was burning down and I could only grab one CD to listen to as I drive away from the smoldering wreckage, it would be this one. These guys are so incredibly talented and IT'S ABOUT TIME they got the publicity and recognition due them! They never, ever disappoint with their thoughtful lyrics and beautiful music. It's downright soul-grabbing stuff... If you ever get a chance, check them out in person (hopefully they'll get to go farther from the Northwest soon), but if you can't, this CD is the next best thing. Be careful, though... you might find yourself torn away from whatever you were trying to get done, mesmerized by the incredible stuff coming from the CD player=) Five O' Clock People deserve 10 stars and four thumbs up.

This album is chock-full of richly blended instrumentation, high caliber musicianship, a variety of vocal harmonies and lyrics worth listening to. The collaboration of these five musicians results in an astonishing level of talent and artistic integrity. The Nothing Venture is a soundtrack for life in a postmodern world -- sometimes times exuberant, other times reverent, and always full of questions. Very hard to categorize -- is there a category for "alternative folk-pop"?

i've been a big fan of these guys for the last three or so years, and im contiually amazed. i have all of five o'clock people's albums (including the very very first one)and each one has something new to offer. beginning to end, the nothing venture is full of lush sounds, excellent production, tight harmonies and strong lyrics. they have an amazing way of portraying exactly what they want people to hear. their music and lyrics match very well. i see these guys (and girl)taking music like jars of clay, burlap to cashmere and the dave matthews band a little further. all of their personalities come through in their music making a huge impact on their listeners. this is a must-have album. a true masterpiece.

You might not have heard much about this Portland OR band, but once you listen to them you, like me, will wonder why. I've seen them live and they are increadible musicians with a deep, full, melodic, sometimes fun, sometimes melancholy sound. I put them up there with Jars of Clay and Burlap to Cashmere, in fact, I listen to this CD more and enjoy every song every time. Oh, and they do not use any electronic intrumentation. If you like real music by real people, buy this CD, I guarantee you won't be dissapointed.

I bought this CD as sort of an impulse buy...got a gift certificate and figured I might as well take a risk. Did I regret it? At first, yes...however the more I listen to these guys' work the more I appreciate and enjoy it. I have been looking for a lot of Christian music with this level of skill in the acoustic aspect of the music and what I enjoy the most is that I don't hear a single electric guitar on the whole album. To me, this is tremondously effective, as you will not often find bands with enough talent to be able to pull off an entire recording session acoustically. I would have to say the weakest part of the the CD would be the harmonies...where they work in some places they just sound out of tune and unrehearsed in other places, the lead singing, however, is extremely nice and relaxed...this is something I often fall asleep to each night. Often times I feel the need to compare all of the Christian bands I hear to the all of the secular ones out there. In this case I would have to say that Five o'clock People is a good blend between Dave Matthews Band and Dogs Eye View.

Five O'clock People's debut release, The Nothing Venture, has officially blown my socks off. Opening the CD with "Lunar," the band begins their "Venture" with artistry and disarming honesty. Funky, sweet, and sometimes sarcastic, the band continues with "Sorry," reminiscent of goo-goo dolls, but more thoughtful lyrically and less intentionally POP. Other instant favorites are "Blame," "Same Old Line," and "So Far Gone." In addition to these more medium paced tunes, the band hits the sentimental string on my guitar with (often on single song repeat on my CD Player) "Glass" and "Fall Silent." ------------------------------------------- If you are seeking top level quality, without an ounce of compromise, buy this album, hold tightly to your coffee cup, and try to keep from crying. Brilliance of this nature begets an emotional experience, like the first listen of Sarah Mclachlan's Fumbling Toward Ecstasy. This album brings balance to the menagerie of musical junk out there. It is an instant classic.

This CD blew me away. I'm used to really rocking music (ie punk, alternative, etc.) but when I heard the first song, "Lunar" I was amazed at the band's talent. Not only do they create their own musical style, but their lyrics are so truthful and profound that it's hard not to get into the music. I'll admit, this isn't a CD that you're going to move to... it's more of a quieting melody that soothes and yet presents the truth of God's word. I must admit, this is one of the best CD's I've seen in a long time.

This is one of the truly great CDs of the past millenium. The songs are mellow, yet they aren't. It's challenging and thought-provoking. Highlights are "Lunar", "Sorry", and "Now I Sing". Anyone who is in to anything can respect and enjoy the music produced by Five O'Clock People. I also saw them in concert with Third Day, and they are one of the best and funniest bands I've ever seen live. I also got to meet them, and they were really friendly.

The first song I heard by this group was "Living Water," and I was enthralled by the acoustic honesty of the lyrics and melody. This album is great, and I'm sad that there won't be any more.

Unfortunately, Five O' Clock People has broken up, although a few of its original members have created a new band. I was introduced to this group by a friend from the Pacific Northwest who had seen them a few times in Oregon and Washington and thought they were amazing. Would that I could have seen them in concert back then, as this album is simply excellent and has not left my iTunes recently played list in two months.

There is a moving significance to this group's lyrics, many of which reflect their Christian faith (not to be missed is an incredible hymn called "Living Water", track 11 here). But many of their songs touch on friendship, love, loneliness, and memories, themes that are universal. Moreover, their musicianship is superb; they use a wide variety of instruments, including mandolins and violins, to lend a haunting Celtic quality to many of their songs, making this album a huge step beyond the paucity of musical talent in most contemporary Christian music. Highly recommended!