Album: Shut Off the World
Year: 2004
Style: Hard/Adult Alternative
Similar Bands: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, L7, Tracy Bonham, Pat Benatar
"One-Word" Review: Ecclect-Eccentr-90's-TV-show-sountrack
Based Out Of: Los Angeles
Label: Noizy Ninja Productions
Shut Off the World - Cover & CD
Shut Off the World - Liner Notes & Back
Shut Off the World (2004)
- Ididit 3:31
- Insecurity 4:34
- Glamorous Life 3:12
- Gravity 4:17
- Beautiful Freak 4:25
- Scientist 4:02
- Can't Get Clean 3:10
- Keep Running 3:35
- Money 3:26
- God Got in the Way 3:43
- Before it Gets Loud 5:17
- Shut Off the World 3:34
Album Review (1-10): 7.0
Members & Other Bands:
Jay Gondiotti - Producer, Guitar, Bass, Mixing, Recording
Nadia Fay - Producer, Vox, Lyrics, Keys, CD Cover
Kenny Aronoff - Drums
Todd Wolf - Drums
Al Schmitt - Recording
Bill Smith - Recording
Andy Brohard - Recording
Eddy Schreyer - Mastering
Randy Wood - Photos
Kit Loose - CD Cover
Kit Loose - CD Cover
Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of these guys. From a quick glance at the fuzzy cover and grimy band name and glass half empty album title, I get the impression that this is a slacker grunge band similar to Alice In Chains. I expect lots of fuzzed out, distorted guitars, and an annoying vocal sound. The way the song titles are hand written out in different fonts is somewhat stupid too.
Album Review: “Ididit” begins with high pitch metal guitars, and a kind of Siouxie Sioux meets Karen O (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) voice, just because it is a little sultry and it jitters up and down the scale. The entire song is driving, and to its credit, the repetitive chorus is a bit catchy
“Insecurity” is slower, but has something that closely resembles evil carnival melody, just played with the metal guitars. The chorus, however, is bland and heavier with fuzz, which I think detracts from the verse’s set up. The Karen O vocals are lost here, and replaced by a neurotic & eccentric Pat Benetar.
“Glamorous Life” starts of fun and bold with heavier and deeper guitars. From the get go it has a catchy melody that is easy and fun to follow. Of course, that is because it is a Prince cover. The vocals steadier until they reach the chorus. And then they try any and all possibilities of minute melody alteration. The vocals even attempt scream-o style briefly.
“Gravity” is a chugging guitar-ballad song that feels like it borrows the melody of the Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” This song could be right out of the music venues from shows like My So Called Life, or early Buffy.
“Beautiful Freak” dives right back into the electric metal guitar, heavy alternative style. The vocals are monotone and spoken more than sung for the verse. The bridge brings a melody to the vocals, and then the chorus is eccentric again, and all over the place, but within the confines of the song and it does make sense in its unusualness. There is a little Sleater Kinney in the vocals, if they were much heavier and metal influenced.
“Scientist” feels a little like bluesy rock initially that gets converted into angular math rock quite quickly. The guitar line sounds like either “Beds Are Burning” or “Hash Pipe,” since Weezer stole the same bass line. I kind of like her section of the vocals that borrows from Mike Patton’s vocal stylings when she says “You know it doesn’t take a”
“Can't Get Clean” it sounds a little like Tracy Bonham, just louder and more chaotic. This is has a stomping dark metal riff to it, and plenty of controlled yelling vocals.
“Keep Running” is an ethereal song, with tinkling piano and other worldly humming. Then guitars are added softly at first, and crashing the new age scene with driving tempo and rushed Pat Benetar style vocals again.
“Money” has a typical pop-punk tempo, and the vocals are interesting again, in a Mike Patton sort of way. But the lyrics are just silly: “I love money and that’s enough” and “Its my money, do not touch.” The song ends in an orgasmic like vocal release. Ugh.
“God Got in the Way” is a 90’s TV show montage that just never happened. The lyrics are very visual, describing a very specific storyline. There is a rap-metal vocal section in the middle with applied megaphone distortion. The end of the song has a metronome stomping pace ushered on by the single guitar chord strumming.
“Before It Gets Loud” is a bold anthemic sounding song where the vocalist has some score to settle. It is not fast or angry, just fearless. It quietly ends with watery guitars and echoing simplicity
“Shut Off the World” is musically, on the other hand, angry and stomp-worthy. The vocals are jittery and unsure. It dips down in octaves and raises up to screaming as chaotically as the song will allow. It builds and builds in the final bridge only to let off right back into the same chorus we’re familiar with.
“Insecurity” is slower, but has something that closely resembles evil carnival melody, just played with the metal guitars. The chorus, however, is bland and heavier with fuzz, which I think detracts from the verse’s set up. The Karen O vocals are lost here, and replaced by a neurotic & eccentric Pat Benetar.
“Glamorous Life” starts of fun and bold with heavier and deeper guitars. From the get go it has a catchy melody that is easy and fun to follow. Of course, that is because it is a Prince cover. The vocals steadier until they reach the chorus. And then they try any and all possibilities of minute melody alteration. The vocals even attempt scream-o style briefly.
“Gravity” is a chugging guitar-ballad song that feels like it borrows the melody of the Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” This song could be right out of the music venues from shows like My So Called Life, or early Buffy.
“Beautiful Freak” dives right back into the electric metal guitar, heavy alternative style. The vocals are monotone and spoken more than sung for the verse. The bridge brings a melody to the vocals, and then the chorus is eccentric again, and all over the place, but within the confines of the song and it does make sense in its unusualness. There is a little Sleater Kinney in the vocals, if they were much heavier and metal influenced.
“Scientist” feels a little like bluesy rock initially that gets converted into angular math rock quite quickly. The guitar line sounds like either “Beds Are Burning” or “Hash Pipe,” since Weezer stole the same bass line. I kind of like her section of the vocals that borrows from Mike Patton’s vocal stylings when she says “You know it doesn’t take a”
“Can't Get Clean” it sounds a little like Tracy Bonham, just louder and more chaotic. This is has a stomping dark metal riff to it, and plenty of controlled yelling vocals.
“Keep Running” is an ethereal song, with tinkling piano and other worldly humming. Then guitars are added softly at first, and crashing the new age scene with driving tempo and rushed Pat Benetar style vocals again.
“Money” has a typical pop-punk tempo, and the vocals are interesting again, in a Mike Patton sort of way. But the lyrics are just silly: “I love money and that’s enough” and “Its my money, do not touch.” The song ends in an orgasmic like vocal release. Ugh.
“God Got in the Way” is a 90’s TV show montage that just never happened. The lyrics are very visual, describing a very specific storyline. There is a rap-metal vocal section in the middle with applied megaphone distortion. The end of the song has a metronome stomping pace ushered on by the single guitar chord strumming.
“Before It Gets Loud” is a bold anthemic sounding song where the vocalist has some score to settle. It is not fast or angry, just fearless. It quietly ends with watery guitars and echoing simplicity
“Shut Off the World” is musically, on the other hand, angry and stomp-worthy. The vocals are jittery and unsure. It dips down in octaves and raises up to screaming as chaotically as the song will allow. It builds and builds in the final bridge only to let off right back into the same chorus we’re familiar with.
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