With their self-titled debut CD, "naked" has literally jumped into the middle of the music scene with the smashing success of the first single from the album, "Mann's Chinese." The band is gaining massive airplay, and the single was added to over 100 stations across the U.S. in the first two weeks after it's release. "Mann's Chinese" is an apocalyptic tale of Hollywood, referring to the city as a "guilded ghetto."
The members of the Los Angeles-based group (Jonathan Sheldon-vocals, guitar; Jeremy Ireland-guitar, backing vocals; Damon Martin-bass; Petur Smith-drums) see things as they are, but still find hope among the ruins. "It (L.A.) can be a very superficial place," says Sheldon. "Our music is a quest for spirituality in a city we feel is mostly void of that. Our album is about passion and honesty, conveyed in the most powerful way possible," continues lyricist Sheldon. "We have a saying in this band that good is never enough. We brought that work ethic into the studio. None of these songs would be the way they are without the four of us. If there's anything we're most proud of, it's the strength of the ENTIRE album. We fight for excellence, so each song can reach its ultimate potential." Some pretty powerful statements from a new band, but they back up what they say with a solid album that contains thoughtful, realistic lyrics, and instrumentals that emphasize the mood or message of each song.
Originally, Sheldon, Ireland and Martin were together with another singer and drummer in a situation that wasn't working out. When the trio decided to start over with Sheldon fronting the band, it was with a possessed fervor. "We gave everything we had because we believe in the music." Says Ireland, "We have a vision." The lineup found a permanent drummer in Smith, an Icelandic/Swedish import, and proceeded to write and record their debut album in Los Angeles with producers Kevin Moloney and Robbie Adams (who've worked with both U2 and Sinead O'Connor).
"We believe in the songwriting," says bassist Martin, who migrated to L.A. from Washington state. "The four of us work together like checks and balances; we're always trying to better the song, the arrangements, the melodies, the counter-melodies." Sheldon adds "A great song takes on a transcendental quality." "naked's" collective identity came together during the writing process. Alienation and a search for self emerged as the main lyrical themes, although a thread of hope runs throughout the alienation. The band's ability to trust their own musical instincts proved successful, because the debut reveals a band with its own powerful identity.
The first song on "naked" is also the first single, "Mann's Chinese. Although the whole album is excellent, this track is the best hands down. From the sound of sirens at the opening, to the lyrics "You could feel the riots in the air/All the natives sitting and sipping beer/They're thinking no we don't belong here/No we don't belong here," to the use of the music itself to create a pretty close imitation of what an apocolyptic atmosphere might sound like, a few listens to this song really get to you. From the statements above made by band members, they definitely get their point across on this track.
"The Road Home," a more upbeat and hopeful number, again uses the music to convey the mood, and harmonies to express the lyrics "I believe in the power of man/In a sinner's losing hand/In a love you always know/And I pave the road home." Unusual use of vocals introduce "What About You?" that bursts to life at the chorus "What about you, babe?/And tell me is truth so grey?/What about you?/You turn away." This song also has a really awesome instrumental bridge with the chorus heard faintly in the background. Probably the 2nd best track on the album, the raw emotion is abundant in both the vocals, the instrumentals, and the surprisingly quiet ending to the song.
An offbeat love song, "Raining On The Sky," is a beautiful rock ballad about a streetwalker given the opportunity to find love and leave her past behind. The poignant lyrics and delivery highlight that thread of hope "naked" is trying to express. Going back to a much darker theme, both lyrically and musically, is "Red," a song about riots and anger and destruction, calling for hope, but seeing "The city's broke/We burned her down/I watch the smoke/Settle to the ground."
The final track on the album, "The Great Escape," is a slow, moody piece that starts with a depressing theme but appears to end on a hopeful note both in the lyrics, harmonies and instrumentals. It's also a powerful song continuing the message from "naked" until the last note sounds. A few of the ten tracks were a little much, which is why I rated the album a 4 1/2, but it's definitely an album to check out. I believe this would probably fall into the Alternative category if I HAVE to categorize it, but in general it would be an asset to any music collection.
