Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 10/13/2009
Dissolving from
Promise Ring emo punk into
Arcade Fire chamber pop,
1997's
Notes from Underground is more delicate than the band's previous two releases. In fact, it would be safe to call
1997 the most twee band on the
Victory roster, which includes nu-metal artists
Otep and
Between the Buried and Me. Blame the gradual shift in direction on the fact that the six-piece has undergone quite a few lineup changes since their inception.
A Better View of the Rising Moon vocalist
Kerri Mack and her replacement for
On the Run,
Alida Marroni, both jumped ship after their respective albums, leaving new singer
Arthi Meera to be the lone female to harmonize sweetly with
Kevin Thomas' acrobatic whine on
Notes from Underground. She does so accordingly, and new bassist/one-time band photographer
Matt Wysocki fills the shoes of
Alan Goffinski adequately. The rest of the group (
Coleman,
Pepp, and
Josephson) show signs of maturity, despite their collective young ages, and as a whole,
1997 seem more comfortable than ever in their niche -- as the band that totes a glockenspiel and French horn on the
Warped Tour. While their sound has softened, the change isn't drastic. The vibe is still easy, breezy, and slightly bittersweet; the instrumentation is still organic and full of frills (with harmonium, mandolin, lap steel, and toy pianos on board); but most importantly, the boy/girl vocal interplay is as endearing as ever, encapsulated best by the songs
"Sympathy for the Living," "Wolf + Sheep," and
"A Fearless Heart" ~Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
;)
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