Article One

Album two from Article One is a much stronger affair than the band’s debut LP. But that doesn’t necessarily mean this is a good album.

It’s confusing to listen to quotes from the band’s singer Nathan Piche. “Our first record was straightforward pop/rock. The sound was very clean.” At this point, I would wholeheartedly agree as the band’s debut was marked by bland, uninspiring pop that was forgettable the moment the note was over. Yet he continues:

“Our goal for Colors and Sounds was to keep the pop/rock accessibility of the first record, while adding more artistic elements … More than just a collection of songs, this record has a lot of cool moments and textures.”

So it’s interesting then that anything resembling the ‘new’ or ‘cool’ referred to earlier isn’t found until three songs into the album – on the decent “Searchlights.” Before then, album openers “Without You (I’m Not Alright)” and the title track come off as more of the same straightforward music as before. In fact, I started this album a few times and had to restart each time because I would forget to even pay attention.

But that changes with “Searchlights” and it’s like something clicks for the band in this section of the sequencing. It’s here that the violinist (and Nathan’s brother) Matt Piche moves above the impressive percussion and bass to create the album’s first good song. Another follows with the highly infectious “Never Too Late Too Call” which opens heavily with Matt’s violin before giving way to traditional Christian acoustic sounds. Still the song succeeds on the strong melody and prayerful lyrics.

“Set To Start” continues the experimental sounds of “Searchlights” with its six minutes of starry guitars and repeating harmonies. “Taken By The Storm” features Nathan Piche at his finest with a strong falsetto and an ability to carry the track throughout. It is here that Nathan sounds most confident. A few more musical interludes are thrown in between, the signature move of producer Tedd T. (Mute Math), but there’s nothing worth paying much attention to.

Still there’s enough bland material left over in the form of the bouncy (not in a good way) pop style of “Dare to Believe,” the throw-away token worship track “Above All Else” and the piano-driven “Angels,” It’s frustrating to move back and forth between songs that lose you only to draw you back in. And in this age of the single and digital ADD, Article One faces an uphill climb to bring in the listener.

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