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Keep It Together
Keep It Together in Bloomington, MN
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If there were any justice,
Guster
's underappreciated masterpiece,
Lost and Gone Forever
, would have elevated the band to superstar status, and the follow-up,
Keep It Together
, would have been one of the most hyped releases of 2003. But while the Boston trio has built up one of the most formidable grassroots followings in music through constant touring, powerful live performances, and a level of interaction with its fans that rivals any band in the biz,
has the goods to finally make
a household name. While their two previous releases flourished through an almost bipolar combination of dark rockers and upbeat
pop
melodies married to biting lyrics,
takes a different path for the most part, focusing on even-keeled love songs. From the album's low-key opener,
"Diane,"
to the sunny shuffle of
"Ramona,"
displays its formerly hidden well-adjusted side. Guest musician
Joe Pisapia
embellishes the group's already flawless harmonies on the immediately memorable
"Careful,"
and contributes vocals and banjo to the rootsy
"Jesus on the Radio,"
which he also co-wrote.
Ben Kweller
shows up on the album's official closer, the surprisingly reserved
"I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today."
Fans of the band's quirkier moments aren't left behind either, with
"Red Oyster Cult"
featuring
prog rock
guitar,
ELO
harmonies, jingle bells, and a whistled solo worthy of
the Scorpions
. But there's no arguing that the high point of this album is the impossibly catchy
"Amsterdam."
Breaking all of
's self-made rules (as it does throughout the album) by adding bass and a drum kit to the mix, the band combines a radio-ready yet
experimental
production style with power chords, layers of vocals, and screaming slide guitar for three and a half minutes of the finest
pop/rock
you're ever likely to hear.
may not feature the emotional dynamics or track-by-track genius of
, but it has something that its predecessor didn't: an unabashed
anthem that dares you to sit still. Whether the members of
do in fact become international
rock
superstars remains to be seen, but so long as they continue to make great albums like this one, their ever-expanding group of fans should be more than happy. ~ Mark Vanderhoff
Guster
's underappreciated masterpiece,
Lost and Gone Forever
, would have elevated the band to superstar status, and the follow-up,
Keep It Together
, would have been one of the most hyped releases of 2003. But while the Boston trio has built up one of the most formidable grassroots followings in music through constant touring, powerful live performances, and a level of interaction with its fans that rivals any band in the biz,
has the goods to finally make
a household name. While their two previous releases flourished through an almost bipolar combination of dark rockers and upbeat
pop
melodies married to biting lyrics,
takes a different path for the most part, focusing on even-keeled love songs. From the album's low-key opener,
"Diane,"
to the sunny shuffle of
"Ramona,"
displays its formerly hidden well-adjusted side. Guest musician
Joe Pisapia
embellishes the group's already flawless harmonies on the immediately memorable
"Careful,"
and contributes vocals and banjo to the rootsy
"Jesus on the Radio,"
which he also co-wrote.
Ben Kweller
shows up on the album's official closer, the surprisingly reserved
"I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today."
Fans of the band's quirkier moments aren't left behind either, with
"Red Oyster Cult"
featuring
prog rock
guitar,
ELO
harmonies, jingle bells, and a whistled solo worthy of
the Scorpions
. But there's no arguing that the high point of this album is the impossibly catchy
"Amsterdam."
Breaking all of
's self-made rules (as it does throughout the album) by adding bass and a drum kit to the mix, the band combines a radio-ready yet
experimental
production style with power chords, layers of vocals, and screaming slide guitar for three and a half minutes of the finest
pop/rock
you're ever likely to hear.
may not feature the emotional dynamics or track-by-track genius of
, but it has something that its predecessor didn't: an unabashed
anthem that dares you to sit still. Whether the members of
do in fact become international
rock
superstars remains to be seen, but so long as they continue to make great albums like this one, their ever-expanding group of fans should be more than happy. ~ Mark Vanderhoff
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