Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Article One by Article One

 Reviewed by Tracy Darlington
 
"...an ambitious effort by three talented musicians."
  
 
Award-winning musicians Nathan and Matt Piche grew up in a musical household, playing piano and violin respectively around the age of 5. It was a no-brainer decision for them to leave school and make music full-time. They bring to the Christian music scene their classical instrumental skills and pop leanings, creating a unique blend of FFH-meets-Billy-Joel-meets-Bono style.
On this self-titled debut album, I really enjoyed the strings underpinning the other instruments. The rich cello in the beginning of “In No Time At All” tells you this isn’t just another garage band. These guys have talent, and all the songs on the album were written by Nathan himself. Dave De Smit adds to their signature sound with his drums and vocals. A little more experience will bring even more depth to their catchy tunes, but this is still a solid first offering by a band you’re sure to hear more from in the coming years.
“So Many Ways to Say Good-by” and “Run (Shattered and Twisted)” are the two stand-out tracks—the type of songs you want to listen over and over. Truly a Billy Joel-esque ballad, “So Many” is the only cut to really showcase Nathan’s piano playing. It started out being a song about Nathan’s girlfriend and ended up being about a friend passing away. “Run” excels with the most interesting guitar work and vocal harmonies on the album. Written about people whose dreams are shattered, the lyrics are particularly poignant: It’s not a matter of opinion and it matters that the plane went down when your dreams took flight.
Newsboys’ Peter Furler, Wes Campbell, and Dale Bray founded Inpop Records to discover new artists with meaningful music. The name Inpop is derived from INternational POP artists, and Canadians Article One are a welcome addition to a label that has already signed the likes of Superchic[k], Mat Kearney, and Foolish Things. Dale Bray says, “Article One’s prominent use of violin in every song makes their sound strictly their own. If you like the pop sensibilities of groups like The Fray, you will love Article One.”
Article One is an ambitious effort by three talented musicians. Though they’re not reinventing the wheel here, the wheels they’re spinning on are sure to take them far.


 

No comments: