Good Sunday evening everyone!
I want to start out by apologizing to Broken Romeo. First, for not coming up with a witty title for their introduction to my readers. And second for being pissed while I write this... but hopefully they'll see why this is a good kind of pissed!
"In the end, one is left wishing Broken Romeo had decided to get a little
more specific with its songs. Rather than singing about believing in
“Believe,” for example, they could have written about the particular
things they believe in. What are their politics? What is their religion?
How do they feel about social issues? We may not agree with everything
they say, but at least we’d know their point of view. Generic statement
songs are just as bad as generic love songs. Songs about girls are fine,
one supposes, but songs with an actual girl’s name in the title lead us
to believe there’s a real girl behind them. The same goes for Broken
Romeo. There’s no ‘there’ in their songs, and we’re left confused over
what all the shouting’s about."
THAT my friends, is a direct quote from an online review that I read about Broken Romeo's album "Desperation Daze". And THAT is what has me in a sour mood right now. I'm sure that the guys in the band would have read this review and took it all in stride... as an indie artist, the best they can do is give us the best they have and hope that they find an audience for their music. I've become as disgruntled with "music experts" as I have with mainstream radio in general. What these so-called experts don't realize is that it's not them putting themselves out there, it's the artists. The music listening public has been dangerously led to believe that, when they read a review like this one, the author has more than a personal opinion about the artist. They have been led to believe that these critics are actual "experts" and that their opinion is actually an "expert" opinion. This particular critic's bio: "He’s an expert in Christian and country music, but he’s also extremely knowledgeable when it comes to most every kind of rock." I'm not gonna give this guy any more "free press" than I already am by naming him, but I don't recognize his name as either a critic or an artist. Does writing about music for 30 years make you an expert? No, it just means that someone has been lucky enough to be paid for his opinion for 30 years. I've been listening to music for almost 40 years. Does this make ME an expert? No... it makes me a lifelong fan of music. So let me give you MY review of Broken Romeo:
Broken Romeo is a Tuscon, AZ based alt/rock band made up of James Turpin, lead vocals/guitar; Steve Turpin, lead guitar/vocals; Ari Sloane, bass; Matt Ringnell, drums. If I absolutely had to, I could come up with 3 or 4 bands easy that you could compare them to. But why would I do that? It's not fair to them as artists to have you compare them to someone else. Listen to their music and judge for yourself. You want my personal opinion? (EDITOR'S NOTE: I am not a so-called "expert" when it comes to reviewing music. My opinions are my own, and whether or not you agree with them, they are still my opinions.) Broken Romeo is unlike any other band on mainstream radio right now. What they are is a fresh coat of paint that the music landscape is begging for RIGHT NOW. Summer days like today are perfect for riding with the windows down cranking "Mark of Cain", "Hallelujah", "Raging Sea"... hell, it was the perfect day to crank the volume for the entire album (which is exactly what I and my family did on our way to and from the lake!).
This is unapologetic, in your face, rock and roll... plain and simple. The vocals are spot on, the guitar riffs are ripe for stadiums across the country. The drums and bass keep it all tied up in a neat little package that bursts at the seams and beg to be unleashed on some unsuspecting soul in the car next to you! Most important to me though, again, as a fan, is the passion that the guys give their music. I believe "Believe". Do I dissect their songs to find the meaning in them? No. I leave that to James and the guys to give you their interpretation of the songs and make you believe them.
So don't just take my word for it. Give them a listen and decide for yourself.
I've already decided that Broken Romeo can easily pace modern rock radio and take it back to its glory days.
The essential Broken Romeo links:
Very well written, Carlos!! And I totally agree...though I may be a little biased. ;)
ReplyDeleteU got everything right. Great article.
ReplyDelete