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HOLY DOGS
SONG REVIEWED: "Climbing The Walls"
CHANCES ARE THAT YOU'VE HEARD STIR BEFORE, BUT YOU JUST DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THEM. THEIR FIRST SINGLE, "NEW BEGINNING", HAS BEEN MAKING THE ROUNDS ON MODERN ROCK RADIO, AS WILL THE NEXT SINGLE FROM HOLY DOGS, "CLIMBING THE WALLS"... THEY'VE ALSO TOURED WITH CREED AND 3 DOORS DOWN, AND ARE ABOUT TO HIT THE ROAD WITH TONIC. THIS IS THEIR SECOND DISC ON CAPITOL RECORDS, AND FEATURES SOME SERIOUSLY MATURE SONGWRITING. "CLIMBING THE WALLS" WAS THE #1 SINGLE ADDED TO RADIO PLAYLISTS A FEW WEEKS AGO; WHICH IS NO SMALL FEAT FOR A RELATIVELY NEW ACT.
HOWARD BENSON, WHO PRODUCED THE DISC, MADE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON THESE GUYS WHEN IN THE STUDIO. HE'S CREDITED ON THE BAND'S WEBSITE WITH GIVING THEM SONGWRITING ADVICE. WHATEVER THAT ADVICE WAS, IT WORKED. "CLIMBING THE WALLS" IS SIMPLE, HOOKY, AND IS MEMORABLE AFTER ONE LISTEN.
THE SONG BEGINS WITH ANDREW SCHMIDT SINGING THE CHORUS SOLO WITH ONE GUITAR, AND QUICKLY THE REST OF THE BAND CHIMES IN. THERE'S A SLIGHT RADIOHEAD INFLUENCE IN THE MELODY, BUT THE VOCALS ARE DISTINCT ENOUGH TO DILUTE ANY DIRECT COMPARISON. DURING THE VERSE, THE CHIMING GUITAR IS REMINISCENT OF U2, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU THINK THEY WERE RIPPING OFF THE EDGE'S LICKS.
LYRICALLY, I THINK SCHMDT (WHOSE CREDITED AS THE PRIMARY WRITER ON THE DISC) IS GOING FOR VAGUE... THE DEBATE IS THAT THE MORE VAGUE YOU MAKE YOUR LYRICS (WITHOUT MAKING THEM MORONIC), THE MORE PEOPLE WILL IDENTIFY WITH YOUR SONG. FOR INSTANCE, LYRICS FOLLOWING A VERY SPECIFIC STORY MIGHT APPEAL TO A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, BUT IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR SONGS MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE, THEN YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE AN EFFECTIVE WRITER, AND AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING STRATEGIST (A JOB A LOT MORE WRITERS ARE HAVING TO LEARN HOW TO DO).
MY GUESS IS THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THESE GUYS SMASHING THINGS ON STAGE, OR GETTING ARRESTED FOR BRAWLING AFTER A GIG; THEY SEEM PRETTY SAFE... BUT THEN AGAIN, THEIR SONGWRITING ISN'T ACTUALLY INDICATIVE OF A BAND WITH PERSONALITY ISSUES (HA...SOMEONE TELL THAT TO BOBBY BROWN) ...
STIR IS THE KIND OF BAND THAT CAN WRITE SOME GREAT SONGS, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. ONE DAY, THEY'RE GOING TO BREAK OUT... BIG TIME... AND THAT'S WHEN THEIR WHOLE BACK CATALOG WILL SELL LIKE HOT CAKES, AND THEY'LL ALL BE STINKING, FILTHY RICH... TRUST ME, YOU WILL BE HEARING BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS FROM STIR.
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