Customer Reviews

Under the Waves

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

 

 

Under the Waves is a calm collection of insightful songs; Droge seems to wander back and forth betwen louder pop rock and semi-acoustic styles from one cd to the next. This collection finds him in his typical bittersweet mood, but in a quieter way. The songs are lovely and carry some powerfully understated emotions, as one might expect from a performer who lives in a bucolic island setting in Washington and wishes to only rarely venture out to perform.

Droge is not doing much to promote this cd; his "whirlwind" tour consisted mostly of two performances, one of which was in Portland at Mississippi Studios, where he performed acoustically with his vocal/songwriting partner Elaine Summers.

These songs are gems, and his lyrics continue to be captivating as they unfold. My kids love Pete Droge; his music is easy for them to absorb. Like Lucinda Williams, his songs are classic examples of simple chord structures that are most alluring, and the emotions are honest and heartfelt. I was so happy to get to see him play these live in Portland. Let's hope he might decide to play out more often in the future; if you are a fan of Pete's more raucous stuff, he says he has more of that coming along next time!

Pete Droge sounds so much like Simon & Garfunkel....I am so glad I discovered his stuff. Great album!

I have enjoyed Pete Droge's music greatly over the years, both on his own and with the Thorns - but he seems to be sliding into an overly comfortable groove recently, especially on his last two LPs ("Skywatching" and this one). I'm not referring to the fact that the overall sound of the discs is much quieter and more acoustic than his previous work; while that's certainly true, it's just the fact that Droge seems content to just lope along in terms of his songwriting and his playing, playing his simple chord changes very simply and never embellishing things much either instrumentally or vocally. He's never been a complex musician, but his best stuff - "Find a Door" and "Necktie Second" - still has a bit of subversion running underneath; this record just lays there and looks at you, not bad but not exceptional by any means. I think the fact that he is basically playing all the instruments himself these days is hurting him; he could use some bandmates to give him a bit of a jumpstart, as his contributions on the Thorns album prove. Pete Droge is a guy whose career I'll always follow, because I do think he has a gift for saying a lot while not saying much, but he seems to be almost mute these days.

Just buy the damn thing. Its well done and Droge is different and obviously didn't sell out to appease the masses. I played a along with a banjo on a couple of tracks in a slow and haunting way....gave me chills. Droge should step out of his comfort zone from time to time. I could see him do something like what the Flaming Lips did in Battle of the Pink Robots or team up with the girl from Cat Power. But for a rainy day and relief from a world gone mad...this is a must buy.

The good songs just keep on rolling on from Pete. Great album. Blowing Whichever Way the Wind Blows is one of the prettiest songs, I've heard.

One of my favorite CDs hands down...I can listen to it over and over again. Give this one a try, you won't be diasppointed!

Wow... Soul touching acoustic. Reminds me of Jacko Pierce, Tim Jacoby (The Gate), Jason Hutchings (Threshold), Matt Strief (Stand Tall). If your an acoustic nut like me, this is a must have!

Under The Waves is another brilliant album put forth by folkie/adult alternative Pete Droge. I am a big fan of Pete Droge's work. Starting with his debut album of Necktie Second, Pete has always stayed true to his original sound. I compare Pete Droge's music and lyrics to that of Tom Petty with a dab of Bob Dylan. You can't go wrong with those masters of the trade. Under The Waves brings forth the mellower side of Pete Droge, which I love. Highlights of the album contain the mellow album title Under The Waves, the soft rocking Electric Green, and the acoustic melodies of Butterfly and Going which Ever The Way The Wind Blows. Whether it be sitting around a camp fire, lounging on the couch, or taking a peaceful drive out in the country, Under The Waves will satisfy all your needs.

I've been a Pete Droge fan since I first discovered him with The Thorns. I was able to have a long conversation with him after the concert, and subsequently purchased all of his solo records. I was very happy to see he had a new cd out and quickly got it. It is very good, but not as "rocking" as some of his older stuff. It also has 2 brief instrumental songs. Having said that I would still highly recommend this to Droge or Thorn's fans--there are enough very good songs to make this cd worth a listen.

Peter Droges new CD is wonderful music. It makes you dream of vacation, love, sadness, hope. Unfortunately Peter Droge is not so popular in Europe, but I think this talented musician should be better known!