The Perfect CD?
I'm a fan of many kinds of music. I like everything from classic rock to modern music and everything from the light ballads of the Goo Goo Dolls to the hardcore beat of Linkin Park. But one thing I've noticed is that although I like hundred's of songs, rarely does an artist put out an album where you don't dislike one or two songs, and you skip ahead when those tracks start to play. I never buy a CD unless I feel I'm going to like all of the songs (This would explain my small CD collection). Then one day, during a late night of homework at college, a saw a little video on MTV from a band called Oleander. The song was 'Are You There,' and I fell in love with it instantly. Well, I did what any normal college student would do, and I decided to do a little online investigating with MP3's. After a couple downloads, I realized that I might finally have found the nearest thing to perfection; a CD with all great songs (perfection being a CD with only your favorites songs, which doesn't happen without burning your own). The next day, I was at the music store (proof that Napster can actually help you discover lesser known artist and lead you to buy their music). Unwind is now the pride and joy of my music collection. Here's the scoop. The second word that comes to mind when describing this album is 'complete' (the first being 'great'). It has good music from start to finish. Everyone I know thinks 'Are You There' is great. 'Champion' and 'Halo' are slower, powerful, touching melodies that grab your attention. 'Benign' and 'Tightrope' are also great, slower songs. The rest of the album is more punkish and still fantastic. In my opinion, 'Unwind' and 'Jimmy Shaker Day' were the low point of the CD, but after hearing them out once or twice, they grow on you and the next thing you know, you're tapping your finger along with them. Another plus was that the lyrics was clean. I don't care for, although I'll put up with, cursing thrown everywhere when you're listening to a song. It's clean enough for anyone, but don't mix that up with wimpiness. It's still got solid beats and most of the songs are pretty heavy (not heavy-metal heavy, but a good alternative/punk/rock type heavy). Definately do yourself the favor of grabbing this one, folks. And also check out Oleander's other album, 'February Son'. I don't have it yet, but I am buying it next chance I get, plus what I've heard of it (50-60%) keeps up with the Oleander quality. Unwind is great for anyone's music collection.
A Good Effort
I bought this CD with great expectations. Their previous release, February Son, was one of the most surprisingly good CDs that I've purchased in the past few years. I don't know what it was, I guess I expected them to improve from one CD to the next. I definitely don't like this effort as much as the February Son album, but I'm not sure that I can say that it isn't as good. I believe the influence of other contemporary pop/alt. rock artists is much greater this time through. They became much more mellow and creed-like, and beside the single "Are you there", they left behind very few remnants of harder rock like was found in many songs on the February Son album ("Stupid", "Why I'm Here"). The new style that they play is more fit to what is popular at this time, and will most likely bring them much more success than an album similar to their last. The album starts very quickly with two fast paced songs, "Come to stay", and "Yours if you like(my personal favorite song)", that are perfect for a good summer drive. Then it goes into the single, "Are You there?". The CD then seems to begin to cater to the record companies, as it slows down with "Halo" and one of the stronger tracks, "Benign". Than the CD quickly reaches its nadir with the cacophonous title track, and "Goodbye", which actually has my favorite line in a CD full of ok, at best, lyrics("You don't need to understand -- Just give into the band"). The rest of the CD isn't weak, but it doesn't seem to be the style of music that Oleander "should be playing". The melodius undertones of "Tightrope and "Champion" are very catchy, and should keep Oleander on not only rock stations, but put them on pop stations also.
Never gets old
If there were three words to make my description of this CD, they would be "genius, originality, and thoughtfulness." Some people may believe that it has a little bit darker mood and feel to it, but I beg to differ. I am steelblade16; you may remember me from a previous review that wasn't helpful at all to many of the readers, so I hope this will help somewhat. This CD is a uniquely crafted, one-of-a-kind masterpiece. And this band truly deserves more credit than they receive. If you don't own this CD, I would highly recommend buying it, and, at the same time, I hope you'll give it a good rating and find it great entertainment.
These Guys Are Confused......And So Am I
On their second release, Oleander try to step away from the Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins motivation of "February Son" and head toward more traditional rock waters. Like most sophomore attempts that try to break new ground, sometimes they succeed, as in the darkside of Collective Soul riffing in "Are You There?" and sometimes they don't, as evidenced in the almost Green Day sounding "Jimmy Shaker Day." Singer/guitarist Thomas Flowers shows he's capable of compelling performances though, when he's not trying to do too much within a song. "Benign," is somewhere in Candlebox territory and the tribute "Champion" has him playing unaccompanied acoustic at the beginning and end. It's obvious this is where the band is most comfortable; straddling the line between melodic hard rock and mellow acoustic textures. They're worth keeping your eye on.
extremely underated cd and band
Oleander has been overlooked for as good as they are. anyone who really listened to their debut, February Son, enough to appreciate it would agree. Their follow up, Unwind, is one of the best cds i've heard in a long time as a whole. the entire cd is good, which is rare. It's also a very versitle cd. it goes every which way. there are driving punkish grunge songs like "jimmy shaker day" and "unwind". they manage to keep their heavy quite nice vocally as well on "she's up, she's down" and the explosive "are you there?".
they show that they can write beautiful songs as well. songs like "halo" and "tightrope" are amazing songs; musically and lyrically. "champion" is also quite nice. these are songs that once you hear, you feel the urge to listen again...and again.
other songs such as "benign" and "goodbye" are so amazingly catchy and radio-friendly that it's quite shocking that this cd didn't do that commercially well. they're just so well-written and fit in w/ everything they play on radio. "yours if you like" is another song just like that. its just good. i really think they would've sold more cds if they marketed it in a different direction. a song like "back home years ago" would explode over radio.
THE POINT: this really is one of the best cds i've heard. it's one of my personal favorites that i always come back to. Oleander have a sound you could call Stone Temple Pilots meets Nirvana. That works for me cuz they pull it off beautifully. BUY BUY BUY
Favorite Songs (though, they are all quite nice):
1. back home years ago
2. are you there?
3. halo
4. tightrope
5. she's up, she's down
This fine follow-up to Oleander's gold-selling 1999 effort, February Son, finds the quartet coming into their own, forging an identity in an often-faceless pop-rock field populated by the likes of Collective Soul and Candlebox. Fronted by the dynamic Thomas Flowers, the group has blossomed from their Nirvana-lite roots into something more original and expansive. Witness the darkly evocative "Are You There?" which moves easily into "Halo," a lilting ballad rife with strings. From the funky and spare "Benign" to the rah-rah rave-up "Jimmy Shaker Day" to the soaring and soulful, Lenny Kravtiz-like "Tightrope," there's nary a loser to be found. Unwind is most interesting on the harder-edged songs such as the raucous but taut "She's Up, She's Down." With stellar production, thoughtful arrangements, and well-crafted songs, Unwind is the kind of album that fans and radio programmers alike can embrace. The Sacramento-bred band may be named after a poisonous flower, but this burgeoning bunch is anything but toxic. --Katherine Turman
