1997, or should I say, Nineteen Ninety Seven is back with their sophomore album, ‘On The Run’. Although the band went through a slight line up change by replacing one female keyboardist with another I doubt that’s the reason for such a different direction than the debut release.
1997 have fallen into the sophomore slump trap without question. It feels as if the band is trying to be something that they are not. Instead of naturally progressing the pop punk style they played so well they jumped ahead to a Straylight Run knock off.
“4 AM” is clever in its execution of having Alida Marroni sing the girl part and Kevin Thomas sing the guys perspective of a failed relationship. The song has a catchy chorus but still feels flat and deflated by the time the mid-way mark is reached. The upbeat tempo is one thing that’s positive and is lacking on the album as a whole. “January 19th” is another track that has a decent chorus, at first, but the verses and eventually the song just drags on until you just need to press ‘next’.
Using a harmonica on a song called “Tennessee Song Part 2″ is always a nice touch. The song caught my attention the first time but only in the continued listening did it really catch on. Both Marroni and Thomas complement each other nicely as they bounce back and forth between each other. The closing title track which fully commits to the new style and direction is the best thing on the record for sure. Although short, the all acoustic song makes you feel the raw emotion that bleeds through the vocals.
Despite being a little more pop punk-ish, the band’s last record, ‘A Better Moon Rising’ had so much more passion and energy compared to ‘On The Run’ and I do think not having it hurts the album. Maybe I was hoping/expecting more but needless to say I was extremely let down by this album.
Track Listing
1. One Track Mind, Four Track Heart
2. Dancing With The Devil
3. Sunset Beyond Black Clouds
4. 4 a.m. Conversation
5. January 19th
6. I Will Always Find You
7. Winds Of Change
8. Zechariah’s Song
9. A Dream Of Form In Days Of Thought
10. Tennessee Song Pt.2
11. On The Run
14 Comments
hey. just.. their first album was called “a better view of the rising moon”
kate (who’s in that band walrus)
i dont get it, were you talking about the part “the band’s last record, ‘A Better Moon Rising’…”?
by the way, nice band
i just recently heard the “on the run album” the first album is way better than their second album. i am so disappointed in their new cd. i hope kerry mack will come back and join them in the third album ^^ i didnt say that alida suck but the previous girl vocal is so much better
@jordan agree exactly
you might want to check out the daily rec today http://www.myspace.com/walrus3 the female singer has a great voice similar to Kerry
i actually like the second cd better! although i do agree they sound a lot like straylight run now. buuuutttttttt……. straylight run is my second favorite band, so i can’t say much (brand new is number 1…).
i like alida’s voice as much as kerry’s. they both have their strengths, and alida’s shines through on “tennessee song pt 2″ and “i will always find you”.
No. Just a plain old bad review, not because this guy dislikes the album, just because he can’t get his facts straight, writes like a 8th grade book report, and resorts to cheap shots at a band he doesn’t know much about. No so shocking he declined to credit his work to himself.
I liked this second album…better. Winds of Change, Zachariah’s Song, January 19th, On the Run…this album is teeming with feeling that hits home.
ouch,
This Album is PERFECT, This band has written an entire album, any track 1-11 is absolutely polished, layered, and formatted for radio airplay. The energy that I personally know these guys are capable of live is fully present on this album, “On The Run”. Of course the sing of Love in its many forms, But these guys have nothing in their life they don’t want to share. Caleb’s brand new baby girl, Lily, gets a song from daddy titled, “January 19th” where he sings “I’m living for somebody else now.” aluding to her. We can see that these six hippy kids know when it’s time to grow up. But maturity isn’t always the death of a good time. “Winds of Change” is a song about loving the road, and remembering everything that put you in that little sweaty van with a broken window in the first place. The original memebers continue to shine the way they did on last year’s “… A Better View Of The Rising Moon.”, and new members show that they are 100% elemental for the sound that is 1997.
The newest member Cody Joesephen (Guitar, Harmonica), Brings his roots in the world of Folk music and cross them with the ever present vibe of pre-emo bands with angular guitar riffs like Mineral,Texas is the reason, and Jawbreaker. Cody stands proudly and assures the others, E-Bow in hand, that there shall never be a dull moment musically. What he does on stage is something to be seen for certain, if you are anywhere in the venue, he’ll be sure to do his best to invite you in on the fun.
Alida Marroni (Keys, Vocals) Will no doubt have tongues wagging, and not simply based on her breath-stealing looks, but this girl really has the chops! her approach to the keys is original and makes for a more full sounding sonic attack, as opposed to adding a childish vibe as many playing the faux-ivorys. Then we come to what she brings with her voice. The original female member Kerri Thomas was by no means bad, nor was she dismissable. Kerri came off like a Hayley Williams (paramore) power singer, where Alida is the classically-trained version of Monique Powell (save ferris). Just play track 6 let her deliver the last line in the chorus of “I Will Always Find You” I’ll bet my life savings every boy in the room is sweating.She is so dynamic, though, she can easily decide she wants to sing harmony under the radar and totally do sometimes you’d think she were another one of the many instruments at the bands disposal.
Kevin Thomas, and Caleb Pepp come off as brothers the way they you have to listen twice sometimes to be sure which it is singing your favorite line. Caleb has the most ridiculous diaphragm. the level of sound that leaves this mans mouth seems like a parlor trick It’s truly Guinness-worthy (the record book, not the beer… he only just turned 21). Also his songwriting, and guitar playing are awe-inspiring to say the very least. Kevin is the one every girl will try and sneak away with. He’s got a boyish charm which he wields like a weapon on the battlefield. He’s mastered a way to inject the lyrics he sings directly into your heart. He seems pretty docile until the stage lights are on him. You think he’s gonna put that tambourine right through his hand. Or how about the time he launched the mic stand into the air and let Cody catch it… WITH HIS FOREHEAD. This kind of intensity can easily be picked up on the album. Kevin is the perfect front-man for this band, He is always doing something amazing, but never while fighting for the limelight. “4 am conversation” probably showcases him the best, other than, of course, his perfect ear for backing harmonies. When you mix in Alida to balance it all, you really can’t possibly get bored with this album. The three of them write, play, and sing so perfectly together you know it is truly meant for them to be on the same album, it’s like a stacked sports team, one you’re always rooting for.
1997 has a rhythm section that works very hard. Nick Coleman, and Alan Gofinski will never be written off as simply an anchor, if anything I’d give them the role of the sails. “A Dream of form in Days of thought” is a song that opens with an ambient mood that many drummers would rely on simply clicking the hi-hat to keep time. Nick proudly lays down a fully appropriate rhythm that not only serves the purpose but actually sometimes steals the show for a bit. Alan isn’t an average bassist either, He’s actually not an average anything, this man in addition to many melodically walking and powerfully pulsing bass lines, he also contributes singing saw, digital programming and probably the most outrageous live show you’ll ever get to see.
So basically, this CD will be the one I rank every thing else on. Lots of sing alongs, lots of smart instrumentation, lots of different influences and sounds culminate to produce my #1 favorite album to date. I give Nineteen Ninety Seven’s second Victory Records’ Release On a scale from 1-10, a 1997… duh!
Chriztophe
this is by far the best album i have bought in years
absolutely amazing
who even cares what the person writing the review thinks of it
you decide wether or not you like it, not someone else
i think that this album is amazing. as soon as i heard about the new album, i waited expectantly for months. when it came out, to say the least, i was not disappointed. i was afraid that their sophomore album would not be as good as the first, but it is amazing. i thought that maybe alida wouldn’t sound as good as kerry, but in fact she sounded better. she fits in perfectly with the band. and i think that the original members are a little better than they were on the first album, and the new members show the ability to blend in seamlessly on the CD. overall, i like the new direction that nineteen ninety seven is going. this CD sound more polished, and developed.
Hey, soooo this reviewer clearly didn’t do enough research on this album. I think it’s a sin to forget the main vocalist on this album (Caleb). Sigh… and if you listen to each and every track on their first and second album, you will find a distinctive point being made through each song in a totally different style. Garden of Evil is poppy, On The Run is the acoustic (almost folky), Tennessee Song Pt. 2 is quite possibly the most amazingly written song of their career. They should be proud to have 2 such strong releases in a row. They were JUST a local band until a little while ago, and they are moving so fast. On THe Run (the album) is only a new direction for the band in the sense that it is more polished and defined. And they took a political, society-geared opportunity with Dancing With the Devil (which was extremely well done). There is much more to the album than the reviewer let on. I think he may have already decided that he wouldn’t like it before actually listening to it. This “sophomore slump” is just a myth. There guys are doing something that deserves to be appreciated. They’re taking a road with their music that no one has ever dared to take before, and they’re sounding great.
I was so ready to like this album but just couldn’t. I didnt decide until after listening to it a couple times, and the fact that after listening to it entirely multiple times, i have yet to pick it up again.
I have to agree with the reviewer on this one. Kerri’s vocals just blew me away and I think that Kevin’s vocals are MUCH better than Caleb’s. They sound like a completely different band. Haven’t purchased this album and don’t plan on it.
This is Bull. Whoever wrote this review needs to get a new job. Sure the album was a big step foward, but you have no right to say that it wasn’t good. It was their progression to make and instead of making a stupid pop punk progression in this album like EVERY OTHER BAND, they did it their way. That made them unique and that’s why it turned out just right.
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