[.ca] Break Up Break Down

a classic!:
Wow, what a surprise this is. After an amazing track record fronting The Oblivians and Compulsive Gamblers (two of the very best garage/punk bands of the last ten years) I'm blown away that Greg Cartwright's new band has turned in one of the most heart-felt, sombre and tasteful batches of songs I've ever heard. Hints of Dylan, Gram Parsons, Roy Orbison and Arthur Lee - yet completely original and in it's own league. Truly beautiful without being sappy. I really can't get over how good this is. This record proves that there is an amazing new singer/song writer on the block and if this album is any indication he will be around for a very long time. I'm simply astounded that the man behind "Static Party" is responsible for this.

Oblivian's are dead, long live Reigning Sound:
I can imagine a lot of the hard core Oblivians fans who bought Greg Oblivian's first "Tip Top" solo outing were sorely disappointed by the snappy pop tunes (although still Lo Fi sound quality). If you were one of those people, then definitely don't buy this album (however, fans of bands like Uncle Tupelo and American Music Club will proabably like it) . There is not even a hint of lo fi bluesy garage punk here. In it's place are polished low key songs with pop, country and Memphis soul influence. All the songs deal with various aspects of heartbreak, from the mournful to bittersweet. Although not a great record, there are some great songs here ("I Don't Care" and "As Long" are two highlights). One thing that also stands out that you could not really appreciate over the Oblivian's squal is that Greg Oblivian (or Greg Cartwright as he now prefers) has a great soulful voice that fits prefectly with the material.

A great surprise:
The Reigning Sound is the first Memphis band since Big Star that has made a great set of albums that are soulful and steeped in the essence of real immediate instinctive organic rock and roll. Break Up Break Down is a mellower album than their follow-up, Time Bomb High School. When I was first told to check them out, I was directed to Break Up Break Down as the stronger of the two. Initiailly, I shared that feeling and found myself wearing out Break Up Break Down with dozens of plays without bothering to pull anything out from the rest of my collection. Then I decided to put Time Bomb High School on repeat for a few spins and fell in love with it, too. While it has some fine lower key tracks, the album has a harder raw feel. Just as Big Star's #1 Record is a more inward feeling record and Radio City is more assertive, so is Break Up Break Down to Time Bomb High School. The harder rocking numbers on Time Bomb recall great Memphis Mid-South garage rock bands of the 60's. They even cover The Guilloteens lost classic "I Don't Believe" and deliver it like they own it. These albums are not lo-fi productions, like The Oblivians. But while they are well recorded and produced, there isn't a moment that sounds over-thought. Everything feels like it is serving the tone and emotion of the material and performances, as it should. There is one thing that I value in these recordings ..... they sound like a real Memphis band. They wear their regionalism proudly in a city whose majority of bands have spent the last thirty years desperately trying to sound like everything on MTV and the radio. Finally, I never bother to write "reviews" - and I hate the idea of sounding like I'm hyping a release - but these are the kind of albums that get better with each listen and I find myself listening with almost the same thrill that I got when I got my first Yardbirds, Kinks, Big Star and Animanls albums years ago - and that is really saying something.

• Since When
• I Don't Care
• You Don't Hear the Music
• Goodbye
• As Long
• Want You
• So Goes Love
• Take a Ride
• Waiting for the Day
• So Sad
• I'm So Thankful