28th
#4 Album of 2008:
IKE - Where to Begin (2008, self-released)
Most Popular Song: We Like Sugar
Best Song: Atomic Rose
Sleeper Track: Say Luvva (included)
There’s not much to say about this album or this band that hasn’t been said already. After original lead guitarist Cliff Hillis and original drummer Dave Anthony departed the band prior to writing and recording of Where to Begin, there was no question as to what the quality of the album would be, but more what form and sound that album would take.
So when the band got a little bit younger with the addition of Brett Talley on guitar and Tom Kristich on drums, it was no surprise that they got a little bit heavier, a little bit faster and a little bit more aggressive. John Faye’s incredible vocals cut through above all else, as always, but the tracks are little bit easier to jump around to this time.
Like the band’s debut, Parallel Universe, the album is a bit front-heavy, and gets a bit tired towards the end. And like Parallel Universe, this has little to do with the quality of the songs in the back half, and much to do with the fact that the slower songs are concentrated in one part of the album and not spread. In Real Life, which incidentally is one of my Top 25 albums of all-time, avoided this by trimming the fat and only relying on 10 songs. Where to Begin is spread a little bit thinner.
Despite the recent departure of long-time bassist Joann Schmidt, there doesn’t seem to be any be sign of IKE slowing down. If you still long for a little bit of power-pop or 90s alt-rock, this is the only band on the planet that truly matters anymore. Where to Begin does nothing more than add to that repertoire.
