Customer Reviews

So There

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A little over a year ago I had the chance to see these guys live at WPI for A Capella Fest. They were AMAZING! Aside from their energy and humor, their voices were truly awesome. I walked out of there more in love with A Capella, and especially with their music. They are extremely talented guys, and their vocal abilities shine through on this CD. A definite must for any fan of contemporary A Capella.

Don't be turned off by this being an acapella recording. You won't even realize there are no instruments. This cd is for everyone. It is a disc I have played sooooo much that I am afraid I have driven those around me crazy . . . if they haven't become FOCS fans also. Have fun singing along!

This album is filled with hit after hit and if you like a capella music, you'll love this cd...of course nothing compares to seeing this group perform live.

Okay, I am not even going to reiterate how phenomenal the VP is on this album...the guys know their stuff, and although a little of the music on this album comes off as softer than true rock, it is definitely a must-own if you like your vocals tight.

Yes, I'm biased, but I have to put in a word for Oren here...besides having a smooth-as-silk and sweet-as-honey sound, he's written one of the tracks (and does the solo on it as well), HOLD ME FOR A WHILE. One of the lighter pieces on the album, there is a gentleness, tenderness in his voice that wraps you in a warm blanket of sound and cradles you. I would love to know if there's a backstory to this one -- it's not that common a sentiment, and such a touching one. Oren also arranges and solos on IF YOU COULD ONLY SEE, and shows us a different side of the song than the original, equally as satisfying and sung better, in my opinion.

My two favorite tracks on this album are FAR AWAY (...check out the "phoned in" effect in the beginning...subtly edginess) and MOVE ON (Oren again, as the velvet-tinged voice of reason in the solo under Dan).

If you like this album, be sure to check out their second release, WONDERS OF THE WORLD, and their 5-song holiday set, MISFIT TOYS.

So,
since all of you who have written reviews for "So There" are not paying attention, lets get one thing straight. The vocal percussion on this album was provided by former FOCS member Samrat Chakrabarti. "What's it all about" was even written by him!! Stack is amazing, but lets give props to a gentleman who has revolutionized vocal percussion style and recording!

I first caught this group three years ago in Cambridge's Club Passim (where Bob Dylan and Joan Baez got their start!), and was immediately blown away. They are simply an amazing group.

The album is well-produced and really brings out the a cappella-imitation-instruments very well. The songs are all very catchy, especially one of the group originals, "What's It All About."

Musically, the album is remarkably complex for an album with such pop sensibilities. While drawing the best from the a cappella pop idiom, the group manages to avoid much of the characteristic cheesiness and hollowness that is often also part of the deal.

David Stackhouse is the most spectacular member of the group, performing both bass and vocal percussion simultaneously (with one mic at his throat and another at his mouth). On the CD, I'm sure they recorded the tracks separately--but rest assured, in live performances "Stack" (as he is affectionately known) pulls off both at once. The three tenors of the group have, rather conveniently, three very distinct voices. While they can blend when they need to, they benefit from being able to draw from a diverse palette of tenor voices. Paul Pampinella is the sole baritone of the group, and definitely carries his weight both as a singer and as the album's producer.

A great testament to what good a cappella can be. Some of the songs are a bit lackluster, so 4 stars it is.

I just heard this band at an assembly and bought their CD. It is amazing what these guys can do. How five guys use their voices to create all the music in the songs is truely incredible.

I have been to two of Five O'Clock Shadows concerts. They are incredible. I recomend this cd for any rock lovers. FOCS takes A Cappella and puts an awesome twist on it. The first time I heard this cd I was shocked to find out there were no instruments used, just the amazing talents of Bill, Dan, Oren, Paul and who could forget Stack? I am a Die-Hard fan of theirs and any one who hears this cd will become one as well.

How many bands can you think of that are all a capella yet still have the sound of a full band? You probably can't think of any. That's OK because Five O'Clock Shadow has it all. Each of the singers is extremely talented and the vocal percussion and bass are amazing. I can't tell you have many people say, "This is not a capella because I hear drums." The album is great but I think the band needs to work on making their original songs a little stronger. The covers of "If You Could Only See" and "Get Down Tonight/That's The Way I Like It" are incredible and they really deserve credit for changing those songs around to fit the style of the band. They also put on a great live show. If you want to hear some truly unique music (even if you normally don't enjoy a capella), buy this album.

When I first heard that an a capella group was coming to my campus, and that I was to meet them first and help them set up, I pictured a 40-something, slightly-more-than-a-barbershop-quartet group... nothing like what showed up.

FOCS's music is a tad cheesy, like one other reviewer said, but that's partly what makes it entertaining. It's good music to chill out and relax too, as well as music to sing along with when with friends.

Their focal percussion and electronic effects add energy and a different sound than you'd expect, and, of course, the way their voices blend is a great alternative to most the pop music that's out there today.

But besides their sound, I have to give them major points for being such nice guys. After being on the road for so long and performing for a junior high that afternoon, they could've been real jerks -- expecially when the audience @ my school was a tad lacking. But through everything, they kept good spirits -- at least in front of us :)

So, if you're looking for a fun, complex-yet-soothing sound, and want to support some really nice guys while you're at it, definitely check out these guys.