Customer Reviews

Secret Machines

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Losing one half of the brother duo that founded psychedelic space-rock outfit the Secret Machines didn't stop remaining brother Brandon Curtis and third founding member Josh Garza from continuing on with their Led Zeppelin-worshipping ways on their self-titled third record. Secret Machines, despite the exit of guitarist Benjamin Curtis, sounds much the same as their previous two records did, and while maintaining the polished production of Ten Silver Drops and the heavy, thudding sonic assault of their debut, it somehow loses a little of both in the end result.

The album starts off promisingly with the stomping "Atomic Heels," which has a scorching guitar riff to go along with one of their most accessible psych-pop products yet. "Last Believer, Drop Dead" is less catchy and more grounded in the barrage of spacey guitar that has characterized their sound, but while taking a while to develop, pays off with a ringing, wall-of-sound style solo at the end.

From there, however, things start to get a little same-y. "Haven I Run Out" is plodding and musically muddy, and its seven-and-a-half minute length rapidly becomes tiresome, especially with a pointless guitar freakout that goes nowhere. Vocalist Brandon Curtis sounds more bored than anything else on "Underneath The Concrete" despite the intriguing melody, and the song's ending is anticlimactic.

The following two songs up the ante a little bit, luckily breaking up the prog-rock monotony first with a catchy, energetic performance by Curtis on the multi-tracked wizardry of "Now You're Gone." and the decidedly odd "The Walls Are Starting To Crack" starts off like a slow jam space opera before surprising with a cosmic roar of guitar power halfway through a bizarre instrumental break that calls to mind both Alice and Wonderland and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Alas, the Secret Machines fall prey to the clichés of their genre on the last couple of songs, the first being an ill-advised psychedelic ballad that swallows itself in waves of reverb and the latter being a way-too-long (11+ minutes) jam no doubt meant to close the album in grand fashion. Instead, it falters along one too many instrumental paths and never reaches a truly satisfactory ending for a track of its size.

While the Secret Machines have dealt with their fair share of bad luck over the years (Benjamin quitting, poor commercial success vs. critical acclaim), the window of opportunity is rapidly closing for a band that has made few deviations to its sound over the years. Secret Machines is the kind of record that will continue to please the band's fans, but won't exactly be making any groundbreaking waves in the industry over the next few months.

I listened to this CD at least 6 times before writing this review. I'm glad I did. It takes a few listens to really digest. I don't think it's fair to compare a group's new CD to their earlier works (too much anyway). Many people tend to want to hear the past, slightly re-cycled and "upgraded."
I think this CD has it's own unique flavor so to speak, just as the two previous ones have (I'm not familiar with their first yet). That's why Secret Machines is one of my top 5 favorite current groups.

That being said, I think this CD has many shades, colors and moods. Not only from track to track, but within the tracks themselves. I will call it my favorite, but that may be because it's the newest to my ears. If you are a fan of Secret Machines, then I believe they deliver and progress to new territory on this one.

I purchased this CD on the first day of release and I can't (don't want to) pull if from the CD player! It really grows on you!!!

2 things about this record.
1. Atomic Heels and underneath the Concrete
2. Everything else
1. I like atomic heels and it's very cute. The shuddering rhythm, and simplistic approach to changes is nice. Nice.
Atomic Heels is the tether to ten silver drops, a good record that has grown. I mean when you first listen to ten silver drops you thought it was ok. After some time and a more critical look, it became better. I like ten silver drops fine, it's a great record. It's not the first album, which from the 9 minutes monster to the very sublime end was legendary. It was the call to something new. It wasn't a burning building, it was a burning village. underneath the concrete is a better, tight pop song to me.
2. Now the third record. The fire is waiting is an ode to the 70's. it's driving in a 72 Mustang and smoking a joint and finding out that god exists as you and a couple of friends are parked on the beach. It's so huge and earth crumbling that you cannot help but wonder if there is something else beyond you.
the walls, and now your gone is simply great song writing.
The Secret Machines are not tongue and cheek goofy like Stephen Malkmus, or as masturbation enthralled as Mars Volta, but it's the grandness of pink Floyd, it's the vastness of My Bloody Valentine, it's the knee quake of OK Computer.
This album is there best. It's mature, simple, full of sadness, dripping with joy and at times beautiful

as much as I enjoyed the first two Secret Machines discs I paused before I purchased this disc... I thought to myself... it can't be as good as... it just won't be great... (I was wrong) what an amazing experience listening to this music is - that's right - it's an experience. I don't care about the brothers or the break-up or the press or the sales or any of that. This recording stands alone as a master work and should be regarded as such. I can't believe the depth of emotion and color and space that moves through this performance of a disc. It's so good and so powerful that it's quietest calmest moments are as stunning and moving as the big beats and the thundering grooves... (Again) This is Master Work - and I don't feel that or experience that often enough in pop music... It's like NOTHING else going on right now

in a perfect world:
-Ben gets bored with Seven Bells
-Brandon and Ben get over their differences, and Ben rejoins
-but Phil Karnatz stays on!

i really like the technique of both guitarists...
...imagine an album featuring both?

(head explodes)

For the low price, this album is really well done. It has melodies and beats that stay with you throughout the day. Great Trip.
This is my first Secret Machines album and its sick people always like it when I play it.

One wonders why Dallas' own and NYC's Texas Ex-pats, the Secret Machines, aren't creating more buzz. Well the music here on their third disk, 'The Secret Machines,' does buzz a plenty and it seems it's always been about the music for this power trio. Guitarist and bro, Ben Curtis is out of the line-up. In is Phil Karnats, he formerly of Dallas' psychedelica jam band 'The Tripping Daisy's', and in Phil is an able prog rocker neuvo. The line-up change works as you still have brother Brandon Curtis delivering his dark lyrics with a other-wordly spaced out Bowie-ala-Spiders From Mars vocals and critically acclaimed Josh Garza, the reincarnation of John Bonham, pounding so ably driving home like a hammer shot the beat and the Zildjian cymbal clash.

Each Secret Machines album features a nod to alternative radio friendly pop prog rock. This album's gem is "Atomic Heels," the disk's opener. "Uncover your eyes
they're bloodied in love whose staring back at yours, honey what have you missed?
You say let them go on fighting i guess as long as there's someplace left to visit. You keep telling me everything's gotta be real. Why don't you lift em up and see, what's beneath your atomic heels?," so opines Curtis on the bouncy pop drone as they reveal they ain't missing a beat in the lineup change.

And then on to "Last Believer, Drop Dead," in which the repetitive drum pound is back. That driving relentless axe chop of their first album, Now Here Is Nowhere, and its openers, "First Wave Intact," and "Sad and Lonely." Though with this album you are drinking down a familiar brew, why mess with this space rock, psychedelica, Black Sabbath, Rush, Pink Floyd thing they have going? No need for these boys to show they are branching out when their signature sound, sounds so innovative and edgy in the first place.

Other highlights on the album are another return to space pop prog in track 4, "Underneath the Concrete," in which Brandon reveals a character that may be slipping apart at the seams, "Underneath the concrete looking for some space to move
I could be running to the sidewalks end for the rest of my days. Looking for the faintest light, slipping away, Away, away."

And then there is the very interesting introspective "P. Floyd Wall-esque," track 6, "The Walls are Starting to Crack." And it may be in this song where the Machines make their mark here. The psychedelica ballad will summon ghosts of pink shaving off his eyebrows and exploring his inner crazy guy from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" of course. "I've been rushing the air sleep
To see how the time slips past. The living keep falling away so I stay in this watch tower to wait for a safer hour enclosed in mortar and stone. The walls are starting to crack, how could they hold back? These waves have always broken through. I have been lied to, these walls are all that I know." And about halfway through the song, it just stops and enter the Floyd playbook with erie space jam drumming, electronica white noise, and finally the big payoff where we have a drum lead-in by the brillant Garza to the choral legions of high voiced apocalyptic choir screaming their pitch perfect head off. It is a musical moment you don't won't to miss boys and girls. --mmw

I was very worried when I first heard that Benjamin was leaving the band. I was concerned that the band was over even if they decided to continue on. I thought they would go the way of my favorite band, Clann Zu. Thankfully, they continued on, and I must truly say, no offense to Ben, but this is my favorite Secret Machines CD to date. It's a really freaking good album. My only minor gripe is that they didn't add "Dreaming of Dreaming" to the album. Go download it for free if you want to get a feel for the band.

I'll start this review with a dirty little four letter word.

PROG !!!

Now, ease back gently & let me elaborate somewhat...

The aforementioned word is not really dirty-except amongst snobby music critics & unadventurous listeners who can't handle tunes that run longer than 5 minutes-or feature unconventional arrangements or time signatures. Why this is relevant is due to something that is totally inescapable: This minor masterpiece just reeks of Prog! Everything about this album features typical prog type influences that are so damn obvious to my own unique musical radar.

So, here's my track by track analysis.

1) "Atomic Heals" This slow burning opener starts out with beefy drums, squawly guitars reverberating metronomically whilst Brandon Curtis wails away about losing his heels.
2) "Last believer, drop dead" A more simplistic repetitive drum pattern anchors this mid tempo tune, with a great combo of guitar effects/chords soaring off into some imagined space.
3) "Have I run out" Starting with supple cymbal splashes, this is another slow burner which kicks into gear at the 1.35 mark, the rhythm picking up a few notches, aided by 2 contrasting guitar lines. Would probably be a monster live in concert. Again, Josh Garza's drumming is first rate. And filled out with powerhouse bombastic synth work (Prog!). First track past the 7 min mark (7.40 to be exact...)
4) "Underneath the concrete" A more urgent up-tempo muscular tune, driven by those pounding, repetitive drums. (If you don't have a great rhythm section in a band, your not really gonna be able to scale the heights of rock 'n roll!). Not my most favorite track, but it will grow on me eventually.
5) "Now your gone" This ballad starts out with the usual machines slow burning intro, then hey, surprise! kicks up a gear or 2 at-you guessed it-the ubiquitous 1.30 mark. But it absolutely comes alive at this point, with a searing lead guitar line, and Brandon's passionate vocal propelling this stunner into the stratosphere.
6) "The Walls are starting to crack" Again, another slow starting ballad which-guess what? yep, your on the money! that bloody 1.30 mark, again...However the true prog influences really kick in at the 4 min point with a scorching synth blast, dynamic lead/melody guitars, some guest backing vocalists wailing away for a short while, before fading out ever so quietly.
7) "I never thought to ask" Easily, this is, A) my favourite track & B) THE most "Proggy" of all these tracks. Beautiful chiming acoustic guitar, spooky/spacey keyboards, soaring reverb drenched vocal, all add up to create one of their most gorgeous atmospheric track's recorded thus far. Reminds me very much of something that an Italian/European group would have recorded in the late 60's/early 70's!
8) "The fire is Waiting" A pulsating, grinding and totally overblown symphonic masterpiece that is just dazzling! Very much a companion piece to the previous track. In fact, this proves just how crucial track sequencing is in trying to make a recording flow and sound as though there's a sort of logical order. Perfect ending to a great record. (And it's the longest track as well, clocking in at very respectable 11 minutes plus!).

This is the 3rd album from this Brooklyn based Group, and the first minus one of the Curtis brothers (Benjamin-who left in March 2007). Any fears that this might have had a destabilizing effect, were thankfully, unfounded. Perhaps freed from constraints & expectations, the revamped line-up (newbie guitarist Phil Karnats) produce easily their most progressive-and dare I say it-best album yet.

Already looking forward to the next one...

The split between the Curtis brothers has worked out better for Secret Machines. I don't know what vision Benjamin Curtis had in mind, but School of Seven Bells is a light-weight, forgettable product. I much prefer Brandon Curtis' harder, darker sound. "Now Here is Nowhere" was an absolute killer of an album, which made the follow-up, "Ten Silver Drops," a real disappointment. I'm happy that this new CD is a stronger return to form for a great band.