Speakeasy unmemorable jam band
Feb. 19, 2008
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Jam bands were so common at one point, it was easy to throw a hacky sack in any direction and it would land at the garage door of a practicing jam band. Since the death of figurehead Jerry Garcia and the dual disbandment of Phish and The String Cheese Incident, the scene has lost a lot of steam. Regardless, there are still a faithful bunch that carries on the tradition of blending multiple genres with lengthy improvised sets and uplifting lyrics that encourage listeners to be themselves.
Speakeasy is trying to keep the feel good spirit of jamming alive and combining the common funk/rock/folk sound with an alt country vibe. In other words, these guys are more likely to drink a couple cases of Natty Light before a show rather than take a hit of acid. It’s a very comfortable at home sound and, as a result, extremely boring.
The majority of the tracks on All Your New Favorite Songs begin with a semi-syncopated mid tempo groove before moving into an uplifting and anthemic chorus that eventually leads way into an overblown guitar solo (“Where You At” nominated for cheesiest use of a talk box since Peter Frampton). It’s painstakingly predictable and honestly, “Walker, Texas Ranger” has more twists and turns.
Writing music may come easy to the four-piece (possibly too easy), but writing in rhyme or prose must be a task. Lyrically, this album is a cliché-ridden wasteland, with nothing interesting in site for miles. There are many cringe-worthy moments throughout the entire album, but it seems the band purposely put their worst lyrical ideas in one song: “Green Chevrolet”: “Think of the road, green Chevrolet/Took a wrong/It determined my day.” The atrocity only continues as the song progresses.
It can’t be said that the guys in Speakeasy are bad musicians. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Complex guitar lines fit in the tiniest places, piano lines keep up the rhythm in line perfectly and the harmonica solos soar above the melody when called for. The harmonica is often the redeeming quality in the album, especially in the only stand out track, “Jimmy.” But much needed creativity is lacking here, and it is a shame to see talented musicians playing such mindless drivel.
There is definitely a niche for Speakeasy’s music. Many people who enjoy Little Feat or (though this is quite a stretch) Phish would probably enjoy seeing Speakeasy live. But a niche is different than a necessity, and that is the biggest problem with Speakeasy. Is the music they are producing really a necessity in today’s vast and varied world of music? Because hashing out old ideas and tired clichés is not considered cutting edge, the answer is a blunt “no.”
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