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Slopeside
One Lane Town
Self-released
The guys in Slopeside make it tough to criticize them without feeling like a douche. The band place very prominently on their press release that they have raised $52,000 for charity. They mention that they are described as “A band with a big heart,” that they have a cancer survivor in the band, and that they do as many benefit concerts as they can. OK, they’re great people. We love and respect that. But we have to put those warm feelings to one side and ask, is the music any good?
The answer is, some of it is. The band state that they blend “the heart of 1960s singer-songwriters with the fun of 1970s classic rock, and add a dash of country and blues.” That’s kind of true, but they don’t blend those styles seamlessly into a sound that is their own. Rather, one song has a classic rock vibe, the next is country, then a bit of reggae. Honestly, it all sounds a bit forced.
That said, there are a few good songs on here. The opening “Faded” is a good, lively rocker, and “Moonshine” has some lyrical merits (we like the many references to downing bottles of the hard stuff).
The musician is sound and occasionally dazzling, and Karen Current has a very pretty voice. It all makes for a nice, if naggingly unspectacular, album. The band isn’t without it’s merits – it just needs to find it’s identity.
