Desert City Soundtrack - Funeral Cars

Straying from the typical four/five piece rock band dynamic always seems to make a band more mysterious. Most bands have a singer/rhythm guitar player, lead guitar, bass, and drums, but every now and then a band mixes it up. Maybe it is a guitar/drum duo like the White Stripes, or maybe they go in for two drummers or two bass players, or who knows what. In the case of Desert City Soundtrack it is the absence of guitar fronting the band in favor of piano. Interesting? Yes. But, the makings of a great band and a great album? Not really. Sure Ben Folds was the poster boy for modern day piano playing band leaders, but Desert City Soundtrack focuses on a bit harder and moodier fair than the brothers Five. Funeral Car grabs some attention from the get go with the very soothing, ethereal sounds of drum, bass and piano swaying like the ebb and flow of a relaxing bubble bath, but the soothing sounds go so far as to sometimes become background music, instead of the center of focus. Don’t get me wrong here, this is not easy listening. There are screaming vocals, and angst, and anger, and guitars, but it is the vein in which they are constructed that makes them soothing. Songs like “These Games We Play” and “Second Sickness” showcase the talent and potential of the band. The heavy piano influence sets the album apart in its underlying mood. What doesn’t set the album apart is the writing. The songs are well written and well put together, but that lack the un-teachable. They lack the spark that makes you remember a moment or a feeling, or makes the piece of music stick in your head. The lone short coming of the album is its forgettable-ness. The music is solid, the mood is well set, the production and talent is solid, and it is an enjoyable experience, but five minutes later you don’t find yourself remembering much about what you just heard. A good album and a good effort from a band with a sound that has nice potential to produce something epic, but just missing a secret ingredient. [www.desertcitysoundtrack.com]