The Promise Ring - Wood/Water

Fans suck. If you’re a band, that is. Fans suck because they place unreasonable demands upon their musical heroes. Fans suck because they will criticize a band for changing, call the band unoriginal when they stick too close to their old sound, and, perhaps worst of all, shout "sellout" when a band attempts to make a living doing what they love. The Promise Ring have a lot to worry about once their fans get a listen of Wood/WaterVery Emergency (which itself was a poppy departure from past releases) that many fans will probably be unwilling to come along for the ride. The most noticeable difference is the tempo; Wood/Water’s tunes amble along at a far more relaxed pace than Emergency’s sugar-rush abandon. However, the speed is a perfect match for the songwriting. This is the second, and perhaps most drastic change for The Promise Ring, as tunes like "Wake Up April" and "Say Goodbye Good" have grown far more expansive than any prior works. Open chords ring out, single notes echo, and various instrumental flourishes color the thoughtfully introspective tracks. The trademark jangle is still there on "Suffer Never" and "Get On The Floor," but even that has grown deeper musically, as the band’s characteristically sunny disposition now incorporates shades of darkness to it’s palate. The change in outlook is to be expected; frontman Davy Von Bohlen almost died last year as a result of a brain ailment, and the album’s sense of mortality seems natural. Yet no one could have predicted how drastically different this Promise Ring album would be. At times, the reflective approach can get a little muddled, but that doesn’t detract from Wood/Water’s otherwise successful experimentation. Like Spiritualized’s Let It Come Down or …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s Source Tags and Codes, this album is a cohesive and creative meditation on a single theme, showing surprising maturity and growth throughout. The Promise Ring’s emo diehards may feel let down by this album, and fall into the typical cycle of fan disdain. Which is a shame, really, because they’d be missing out on a wonderful album as a result. [www.tpr-online.com]