Rating: 2 Pulses
The overall sound of the Peter Moon Band is very easy to describe. They are a basic three-piece band driven by the tones of electric guitar, bass and a standard rock drum kit.
The vocals and guitar are presented in a semi aggressive style that is a cross between the sounds of mid-tempo ’90s alternative rock mixed with a bit of blues. Sometimes the vocals twist and shift in a way reminiscent of what is considered modern soul. Other vocals and instruments are periodically layered throughout the album.
Unfortunately, Black Eyed Smiley lacked anything that I would consider exceptional. Almost every song made me bored almost instantly.
All aspects of the recording sound good, but the songs fail to deliver any memorable combinations of tones or words. At some points, a smooth slide guitar cuts through the mixes that sounds tasteful and nice, but mostly the songs just feel generic.
One song that does stand out is the last song on the album, “Drivin’ Home.” It’s a slower tempo blues-based song presented in a pure vocal and acoustic guitar format. A lead acoustic playing slide licks sounds great. The song, about getting stoned and driving, has a good rhythmic groove and a nice melody I really enjoy.
All songs before that had a completely different effect though. I especially did not like the cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.”
Overall, I was rather disappointed after listening to the Peter Moon Band CD. I liked the cover art and was excited to put it on, but the music just didn’t do anything for me. I do believe that some music fans would enjoy this type of music far more than I.
The album obviously is a well done recording and presents a uniform image from song to song. But in general, I believe most people who like this type of music would probably find other CD’s they would like better.
The Peter Moon Band would do very well in the future to experiment with instrumentation. Most of the problems with this album could be solved by finding new and unique ways to arrange and orchestrate their material.
