Customer Reviews

Today Is Tonight

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

That's a compliment, actually. Shamelessly upbeat and infectiously poppy, the Changes strike me much as the Hershey, PA quartet The Ocean Blue did when their first album debuted in '89. Great driving cd, not a marginal song on the set. Worth buying and worth passing on to friends, without question.

I love this album. It has a great indie pop sound. At times, the band goes for a more bouncy, electronic feel that reminds me of Postal Service. At other times, they really groove well with a jazz-tinged indie rock in the way bands like Sea and Cake used to. The songwriting is strong - I'd say 2 or 3 songs are a little weak, but the first 5 songs and the closer are fantastic. I've showed it to all my picky audiophile friends and they're digging it too. If you have a taste for catchy indie pop, give 'Today is Tonight' a try.

Everyone who's had the pleasure of hearing The Changes' "When I Wake" knows that it's one of 2006's catchiest and most all-around lovable songs. What they might not yet realize is that the rest of Today Is Tonight is just as brilliant. It combines the best elements of The Police, The Pixies and Charlie Parker.

First introduced to this band via satellite radio, was the first track called "When I Wake". Having a very pop-y sound and being in a good mood that particular day, I decided to see what else this band had to offer. After listening to sound bites from different internet sources it made sense to buy the album. Moving past the first track, you learn this album is way more dynamic than initially thought. Overall a very positive sound, some songs have a catchy pop tune in a non-irritating radio style while others are sleek and sexy. More mature sounds come out near the end with titles such as "In the Dark" and the final track, very nicely used in relation with the first track, "When I Sleep".

If I were to state one disappointment for this band is that I'm now waiting for their sophomore album to be released.

I can't believe how good this album is. I bought it right at the end of 2006 and I think it may have taken my album of the year award. Everyone I've played it for has fallen in love with it. I hope to hear more from these guys in the near future.

I first heard The Changes on SomaFm's Indie Pop Rocks station. The song that came up, "When I Wake", has got to be the catchiest tune I've heard in years. Musically, The Changes are incredibly talented, layering hooks, melodies, and atmospheric vocals in a way that'll have you tapping your foot to just about every song on the album. "Today is Tonight" is a great album to listen to in the car, or anyplace you wouldn't be ashamed to be caught singing along.

I'd compare these guys more to the Shins, The Sea and Cake, and My Morning Jacket (Especially "Z") more than anything else. Some people claim similarities to Death Cab, and the Postal Service, but I find that there is more variety here than Ben Gibbard's recent work. "Today is Tonight" blends the best of new-wave indie pop with some classic rock elements. The result is a beautiful record from start to finish.

Some Favorite Tracks (though it was hard to single them out):
1. When I Wake
2. Water of the Gods
3. House of Style
4. The Machine
5. In the Dark

**NOTE to Synth-Pop/IDM/Indietronica Junkies: The album has tasteful snippets of drum machine and electronica, but as with make-up, it was applied in just the right amount so that it enhanced the band's sound instead of cheapening it. Don't expect fatty electro beats, or fully synthed out tracks ala Postal Service. This is Rock music, without question.

This is not my genre of music listening but I was hooked since the first time I listened to the album. Every song is a gem and is dreamy and poppy. I saw them live a few times in Chicago a few years ago and they were superb live as well. Definitely get this very unnoticed and underrated album.

We liked the initial clips from the album and decided to buy it. We were totally blown away by the sound! We are fans of the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie and this band is on their level. Many influences show up in their music from Tom Petty to Pearl Jam to a bit of Pink Floyd. You should definitely buy this if you want a change of pace from the angst driven music from the soda-pop bands like Panic at the Disco or AFI. This is definitely a very mature sound from younger musicians.

When I first heard a the guitar solo on "Her, You and I," I knew that I was going to have a time breaking away my ears from this new indie rock group. But it didn't stop there, as I listened to the rest of the album couldn't get over the fact that it made me exited about rock again, for the first time in a long time. After that, I became infatuated with the indie music scene, especially Indie rock, and haven't looked back for very long since.

"When I Wake" starts off the 'day' theme of the album, and gives you a taste of what's to come. It's a great little song and it's only made better by the Daytrotter Session version. "On A String" is a little bit too light for the album, and kind of breaks the great vibe going on. "Water of the Gods" starts off the bouncy morning rock vibe permeating the album, and this song is a prime example of this sound I'm talking about. "Sisters" has a strange song structure, but it adds great variety to the album and comes off as one of the main highlights of the album.

"Modern Love" seems a little short for what's there, and delivers in the verses, before completing its cycle at the chorus. Truly indie rock, they do a great job musically tying the ends and outs of the song together. "Her, You and I" is the best song off the album, coming off in an epic fashion that slowly builds through standard song form, before breaking down for an exquisite guitar solo with some great organ mixed for good measure. This is truly one of the great guitar solos I've heard from somebody not named John Mayer. Truly genius. You'll launch into an all-out air guitar rock fest when it cranks into high gear. The song then comes to a close you don't want to see coming, but at least the song goes out on all cylinders before moving onto the self-explanatory "When I Sleep."

This would be the perfect album to listen to while cleaning the kitchen. With their great brand of indie rock, and certainly one that defines the genre for me, The Changes put you in a sublime mood, and gives an album that will surely be around for awhile. Now when's the follow-up coming out?