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OK so a few good people at Fortello London put me on to this London-based Pop/Rock (they say Funk/R&B however) band only a few weeks ago & I must say that I was (still am) impressed with what I heard. I was invited to one of their live performances only the other day & it was very different to what I had expected (I mean it was a 'Rock' set but with B-Boy dancing & R&B musicianship & quite an Organic feel! Don't ask, you'd have to have been there to understand lol!)... Anyway it was different but VERY GOOD different & I was priviledged to leave their showcase with a copy of their debut E.P which I am about to share with you... It's titled 'The Ripple Effect EP' & the name of the band? Chromatone... Before I go into it, let me introduce the band right quick!Philipp Cerny - Vocals/Lead
Emmanuel Adeniran - Bass
Kieran Dwain Guy - Drums
Jesse Byrd - Keys
Chromatone, ladies & gentlemen!!! I've always wanted to do that lol!
That was the first song off of the 4-track EP, titled 'One Half' and the first thing that occurs to me as the vocals drop into the song (that i failed to notice in their live show) was that they sound quite like Maroon 5, OR what do you reckon? Now that's not a bad comparison at all BUT the other thing that strikes me on this opener is the sheer musical spectical that it is, from start to finish... However it's Philip Cerny on lead-guitar (who is also on Vocals) shocking out at the beginning of the record... & at the middle & at the end (what showmanship heh? I love it though!) & Kieran Dwain Guy on Drums who's gliding beautifully between the easy breezy verses & high octane hooks on this record effortessly, that steal the show for almost all of the song. All in all, it's a great way to kick-off the EP in my opinion... I enjoyed it!
Now unto my favorite record on the EP, 'She Tries' and the one thing I like the most about this song is its lyrical content... Especially on that 1st & 2nd verse! It's nothing out of this world BUT I find it quite witty & funny & so true of certain male
idiosyncrasies & insecurities... You know what strikes me (there's alot of 'striking' on this EP, isn't there lol?) on this track? It's how the band have intentionally let the music take the back seat to the vocals and the lyrics which have a starring role on this record as against the previous record, 'One Half' or on the other records on the EP... It may be just me but it works perfectly because they let the song tell its story quite eloquently, one of regret, one of subtle disdain & Philipp on vocals is NOT a vocal powerhouse let's be honest but his sultry, easy-breezy & organic voice (a tenor if I had to say?) brings out the R&B flavour in Chromatone's otherwise Pop/Rock infused records. A quick look at their musical influences - Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock (I know!), Jamiroquai, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and you can tell where that R&B flavor stems from.What are your thoughts so far?
For the third track of The Ripple Effect EP, Chromatone give us 'Funky Dory' which is heavily-laden with a beautiful mash-up of sounds from Jesse Byrd's Keyboards & Emmanuel Adeniran's Bass-guitar with Kieran on the drums again serving as the final piece to the puzzle on the musical arrangement on this record... Philipp Cerny is allowed free 'roamage' as lead-guitar on pivotal points in the song to rather mixed results... On some listens, I enjoy Mr. Cerny's guitar-play but on other listens, I don't. What do you think? This would be my least favorite record on the EP...
As the curtain call to this stellar 15 odd minutes that is Chromatone's debut EP, we have 'Say What They May' which kicks off with a nice lil neat interplay between both Lead & Bass, before both Vocals & Drums have their own little moment together on the 1st & 2nd verses of the song... I like how Chromatone don't try to be overly complicated on this record, 'Say What They May' is NOT trying too hard, it's a thoroughly enjoyable record if you don't try & analyse it too much so we're NOT, we're just gonna enjoy it...
All in all, I like this E.P. Would I have liked to hear more Bass-guitar generally on this E.P? YES (I'm in my The Beatles' 'Revolver'/U2's 'Achtung Baby'/Red Hot Chilli Peppers' 'By the Way' phase lol)... but this is for all purposes & intents, a lead-gui
tar EP & the guitar solos are actually really enjoyable... The lyrics to that last record say 'Do what I want, say what they may!' and on the whole, you kinda get a sense that that's exactly what Chromatone have done... They've just come together, experimented with different arrangements & created music that they enjoy... that is in turn enjoyable & that is NOT engineered in some lab somewhere... They sound like a band that's in control of & quite comfortable with their music, without any puppet masters dictating their musical journey & we hope it stays that way for their next project... The Ripple Effect EP is WE PLUG GOOD MUSIC certified!!!BUT you are the real taste-makers here so what do you reckon?
The E.P is up on ITUNES for less than $4 (thats about £2) so please show these guys some love and purchase their EP... Support GOOD Music!!! Also if you want a physical copy of the EP (PS the musical backdrop sounds quite amazing when played on a solid sound system!), you can get it for £4 (including postage & packaging), contact Philipp Cerny @ philipp_24@hotmail.com or leave them a message on thier Myspace page...
Until the Next Time...
Peace, Love & GOOD Music
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