One of the hardest tasks of rock and roll is possibly the simplest: make a good, consistent, and memorable rock album. That's it. That's all it takes. Yet there are few, very few, who have achieved this. Call Me Lightning, a rock band straight from who-knows-where-Milwaukee-is?, has met this problem with great success with their sophomore release Soft Skeletons.
The question now is, what makes a rock album good? Well the dynamics of the album as a whole must be memorable. The songs must be coordinated in a way that doesn't get boring. Soft Skeletons begins with an in your face fist pumper, a very attractive way to start an album. Consistently the guitar keeps the bands over all composure together, which is important, especially in a rock album.
Think about it, why do we listen to rock and roll in the first place? To get pumped, to feel motivated, to be enraged. All these attributes are specifically highlighted in the songs of Call Me Lightning. Especially in the bass lines, the bass is thick, exciting, and memorable. Also it sounds great in your car. What more could you want than that?
Another thing that makes Call Me Lightning so attractive is their 'we don't give a flying decapitated cattle who says what' attitude. Their style is just a big middle finger to the world. Rock and roll ladies and gentlemen, at its finest.
Are there faults? Maybe to some it may be considered a fault, but when listening to Soft Skeletons you seem to get a little lost. You start the album and than before you know it, it's over. This attribute is not necessarily because the album is short, but instead it should be viewed in the realization that the album itself was so good, that time was out of place. Splendid isn't it?
See also
Les Savy Fav, Thunderbirds Are Now!
