Rating: 1 Pulse
Exit 42’s latest release, entitled Trash And Poetry, begins with a blues rock song that prepares the listener for a somewhat classic rock sound. This opening track reminds me of some of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s or Van Halen’s lesser moments. Unfortunately though, this is one of the higher points in the album.
As it goes on, the songs get less bluesy, and turn an ugly shade of light rock. The album is a collection of mediocre songs and dull sounding recordings?some of the songs’ mixing and mastering actually sound like bad mp3s.
The basic composition of the music is electric guitars, drums, bass and vocals. There are occasionally some sections which contain keyboards and saxophone. The lyrics are mostly about romance or love related issues.
Some of the songs on Trash and Poetry do have some good rhythmic phrasing and internal rhyme in the vocal lines, but these positives are overshadowed by weak vocal projection. There are many points where the vocals sound strained. This causes a wavering affect that translates as weakness and pitch problems in some cases. Some songs, like song four, “Long Way Down,” and song eight, “Rose,” don’t suffer from the pitchyness or weakness, but even with stronger vocals, the songs still don’t impress.
Song six, “Lets Just Say,” is easily the strongest work on the album. This song reminds me of some of the light rock musak that I hear at department stores. It has a smooth saxophone and solid vocal harmonies. The hook is used effectively and the song flows well.
Track ten, however, is by the far the worse sounding song on the album. It is mixed very poorly, and comes out quieter than all the other tracks. This gives me the impression the album never went through a mastering phase.
Overall, I have to give this album a poor rating. The songwriting, instrumentation, arrangement, and recording quality all leave me wishing for something else. There are some songs that may fit into certain musical listening circles, but even they don’t do anything particularly unique or sound exceptionally good. In an era where almost anyone with a pro-tools rig and decent knowhow can make something sound professional, I find this record disappointing.
