Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

I can honestly say I had never seen a hand sewn cd cover until today. They had me at plaid. That was all it took for me to load this EP into the iPod and take a listen. Ohio (I know firsthand) is not known for producing very many musical artists with much talent; but I think Annabel has added their name to the short list. With Ben Hendricks on guitar, Andy Hendricks on drums, and Scotty Moses on bass, Annabel puts together an impressive debut EP in Now That We’re Alive.

Being that EPs are short, every song must impress. All five tracks on Now That We’re Alive are good to varying degrees and showcase some unlocked talent. It is very surprising this band has not been snatched up by a major label and produced a full length album using these as the main pieces to the puzzle. Maybe they don’t need a label stamp to “prove” they can make good music. Parade Rest introduces us to the talents that will soon be playing on radios across America with music and lyrics most bands do not get right until their third or fourth album. As the EP progresses, some vocals do get a bit lost in the music and production. I am sure this will be cleaned up for the final album project and these tracks will become amazing; but for now they are lacking a little finesse. Scouring the internet even brought up a person who used Bouquet Mines, with permission of the band, in the creation of a downloadable music station for Grand Theft Auto IV.

Now That We’re Alive is an impressive showcase of what will be one of the next great indie rock/pop bands. There are hits and misses on this EP; but it is a self-made from beginning to end. Yes, I said self-made. There are few bands that can produce music like this with little help. If they can make an EP like this themselves, I want to know what a professional producer and recording studio can do for their journey from Kent, Ohio.