The Colourist Plays Bright and Bold

I have always believed the amount of fun a band has making music together directly correlates to the amount of fun that can be had listening to their music. In the case of The Colourist, I am convinced, after perusing their Purevolume profile, that members Maya Tuttle, Adam Castilla, Justin Wagner, and Kollin Johannsen are the best of friends. Their music perked me up right from the start, and their infectiously happy rhythms provided for a feel-good listening experience.

"Oh Goodbye," from their self-titled EP, improved my disposition towards life instantaneously with its positive lyrics, strong vocals, and steady tempo. The lyrics were the first to catch my attention. "We let the good grow strong" struck a chord with me (musical pun completely intended) because in the case of relationships, that is absolutely true. "There comes times when we're just not happy/We have to say so long" depicts another truth of relationships. The Colourist does an excellent job of juxtaposing the emotions felt when a relationship is good and when it is bad. While all of this love and life insight is being revealed, some fantastic things are happening on the instrumental side of the song. The guitar rips into the intro with a great riff paired perfectly with some fast-paced percussion that continues throughout the song, keeping the energy high. I liked the arrangement of this song because the vocals took turns with the instruments when it came to showing off. Nobody was trying to out-do each other. At 2:24, the piano and guitar join forces to play a lovely little chromatic scale that leads into the power-packed finale. This song kept me interested from start to finish with its great energy.

"Fair Weather Friends," also from their self-titled EP, impressed me because of all the different sounds produced in the song. It starts off with very light chimes that tickle the ear, and then the guitar joins in on the fun. Next a cymbal roll brings in the rest of the band, and crystal clear, melancholy vocals round out the intro. The song has drive, as heard in various crescendos, decrescendos and increasing intensity of the vocals and lyrics. Just when I thought the song was going to explode, everything halted. The lingering tones of the chimes bring everyone back in for one last stand. The lyrics were the stand-out aspect of the song. "You say that the world is crashing down/But who was there for you/Your friends were/Your friends were/Your friends were there" is an example of the honesty The Colourist pours into their lyrics. I felt like I was experiencing everything they were in the song. That is a characteristic I can appreciate because what better way to help connect people to your music than to connect them to what you feel?

"Yes Yes," was the winner for me. Another tune from their self-titled EP, it was the total package for me: perfect arrangement, piano-rock-vibe, hard-hitting percussion, angelic vocals, and lyrics I could relate to. "Yes, yes/They've been jealous/Of the time spent between you and me/They've been talking/Even plotting/Of they way they can steal you from me" is another relationship-themed lyric that everyone who has ever been in a relationship can remember experiencing at least once. I felt like the The Colourist branded themselves as the people's lyricists in this song because of how well they convey feelings common in most people's lives. This might be strange to say, but it makes me want them to write a concept album of my life because I know they would make it sound so good.

I recommend The Colourist to anyone who wants to listen to music that expresses that which they don't know how. Their sound is vibrant. Their sound is unpredictable. They are personal. They are real. I want to hear more from them.

Listen to The Colourist here!

Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.

Photo credit: http://www.purevolume.com/thecolourist/photos/2995009

DESA Underwhelms Me

DESA, an indie alternative five-piece from Oakland, California, left me feeling pretty lukewarm today. Members Ryan, Adam, Barry, Aaron, and Steve play their instruments well, but their generic alt-rock sound failed to blow me away. After three songs, I was definitely ready to call it quits.

"Delilah" was just monotonous. The guitars were trying to do too much during the verses. They could have impressed me had they not lost their way beneath the vocals. The chorus sounded whiny with the percussion and guitar feeling very heavy. Every now and then the guitars grabbed the spotlight with an interesting picking pattern, but overall I felt like I had listened to the anthem for every mediocre alt-rock band I have seen live. "Delilah" could have been much cleaner.

"We Must Be Brave" only had somber lyrics and hushed acoustic guitar to offer me. The vocals sounded strained, which might have been purposeful, but I was not a fan. The instrumental aspect of the song felt like an open mic coffee house experiment. I think I might have heard a muted trumpet at one point, which perked up my ears, but the excitement faded quickly when the vocals came in and did not seem to connect with the tone of what the guitar was playing. "We Must Be Brave" just seemed messy and poorly planned to me.

"Alarm Clock Screams" was horrendous. The idea of letting a guitar riff and heavy percussion override vocals is just perplexing to me. I feel like a good song should show how well the musicians can blend their talent with each other. Apparently DESA does not share the same beliefs on showcasing talent as me. The fast-paced, sweaty guitar riffs were distorted. The percussion sounded like they were competing with the guitar. The vocals sounded defeated. I should have taken the title of the song more literally I suppose, with how unpleasant it turned out to be.

I personally would not recommend DESA under any circumstances.

You be the judge. Give DESA a chance here.

Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.

Photo credit: http://www.purevolume.com/desa/photos/5813