Fallen - Evanescence > Reviews > To disappear like vapour, I hope not

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Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
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Advantages:	Make up your own mind
Disadvantages:	It's that mind thing again

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

No matter how hard it is to break into the music business, how tough and humiliating it can get new bands emerge everyday, thank god, and there are more opportunities to be heard now than ever before. Unfortunately most of those granted with the responsibility to deliver great music to us fail to play fresh, unknown and individual music choosing instead to stick with national trends, subsequently truncating the growth of new music and, worse still, the really talented bands and musicians. I know, I know, the radio stations and press have an audience to pleasure and deliver a watered down baby-food like diet of mundane dance tracks, monotonous R&B and image ridden ‘singing groups’, but this is my op and I’ll rant if I want to (I must have used that before).

For a long time bands and singers have been assisted to higher highs by associations with movies, programs and products, Tom Jones (Thunderball, Coke), Simon & Garfunkel (The Graduate, Rabbit Pie (I know it was a solo Garfunkel….please!)). Some have needed the help more than others and the opportunity to deliver ‘fresh new sounds’ into our laps has been pioneered (or is that a pie in your ear) to great success on the ‘soundtrack superstar sound-highway’ that is the movie soundtrack.

So the question I pose tonight, which flavour is Fallen the debut album by Evanescence, a marketing coup or one of the talented few (told I didn’t do poetry). Does entering an opinion in this state of thought indicate some bias I hear you ask, well I like to think I’m a fair man and talent is something I appreciate so stick around and see what you think.

Background
Basically Amy Lee, the vocalist, and Ben Moody, lead guitar, met sometime back in the 90’s have been a duo for sometime. They were heard by producer Pete Matthews, he referred them to Wind-Up Records who signed them. Recently they added John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray. Now a cynical man might say, ‘that’s a coincidence, makes them a bit more like a rock band now and a bit more marketable’, but I would say… well probably just that, I am cynical and crippled with jealousy after all.

The CD
The cover is a rather unusual picture of Amy, it’s a little distorted and effected, doesn’t look much like the lady I’ve seen on top of the pops, but striking all the same.

The Tracks
Going Under
Strange how a choral lift can redeem what I thought was about to be a bland, typical rock ballad track. Once the ‘fuzz effected guitar and husky vocal’ intro is out of the way, this haunting melody line is quite hypnotic and makes a wonderful bridge, lifting the track above the usual ‘vocally challenged’ singers of this genre. This lady can sing, but it’s a disappointing opener, she has a great voice, but the track would be very little without her.

Bring Me to Life
Everybody must have heard this by now, a very well crafted rock/pop song, plenty of hooks and a subdued but obviously powerful and well trained vocal lead. We move through many of the clichés here, starting with a controlled but powerful ballad like verse to a ‘shouted’ chorus to add urgency and a half time middle 8 which is wonderfully delivered with great style and near perfect execution. The use of strings is a welcome addition to the spectrum and colours the music just enough without dominating. This one of the best rock records to hit the charts for some time, definitely a sense of flying.

Everybody's Fool
A typical rock ballad, very well executed, riff based, reliant on Amy Lee’s voice to carry a predictable but well written tune. There’s a drop away in the middle, which shows promise but leads to nothing more. I like this track but I won’t remember it tomorrow unless I listen to it 4 or five times more tonight, which I might.

My Immortal
An unexpected ballad. When I say unexpected I mean not filled with expected slow battleship drums, irritating finger played percussion and the like. This is intimate, soulful and inviting track. Up to now on this CD Amy has proved herself as a ‘rock vocalist’ here she shows more intelligence, control and sensitivity than so pronounced Diva’s like Mariah, Cher, or Celine and others like them. Wonderful.

Haunted
Starts with a peculiar backward playing sound and vocal, spooky and effective. I’ve warmed quite a bit to Amy and here Ben is let loose for the first time with a good, well structured solo but the track is very standard and in each of the tracks up to yet the drummer seems to add very little, nothing a drum machine couldn’t have delivered as well.

Tourniquet
This is almost Euro-rock at the start; remember the ‘final countdown:Europe’. Then things change and this becomes very similar to ‘bring me to life’, the guitar, the drum rhythm and sound, the whole format. If it wasn’t for the absence of the shouted chorus and middle 8 this would be so close. Saying that it’s well executed and I love the chorus hook line, nice. Again, for me, Amy carries the track.

Imaginary
Nice string intro, into driving guitar, beautiful piano, sounds sequenced but it’s so effective, nice open and unimposing drums. The middle 8/chorus is to die for; a layered vocal tapestry is the best I can say to describe it. It continuingly returns to the piano. Could this be the sound of Evanescence, if so the next CD will be a treat.

Taking Over Me
Back to the modern rock format, too predictable and the backing is too like their other material for my liking but Amy saves the day… again. I keep saying that but she is superb, easily shines head and shoulders high above the band, sorry.

Hello
Just piano and vocals again, but nothing like the almost classical ‘my immortal’, this is quite contemporary. It’s a lovely song illustrating again the flexibility and maturity of voice and performance Amy has, yes I liked it and no I don’t fancy her…. much.

My Last Breath
Somebody in the studio loves that ‘echoy’ drum machine don’t they; it makes an appearance on too many tracks, mistaking ‘identifiable sound’ for ‘individual style’, which is supplied by the band thankfully. This is a great track, wonderfully structured and has anthem written all over it, much like ‘bring me to life’ has. If this is the sound of the next album… well Halleluiah.

Whisper
The start is a little clichéd and it all sounds very familiar to start with, the overused electronic percussion effects are ever-present Evanescence (sorry). Amy powers into the song, she carries this again for the most part. To ad-lib a little from elsewhere, too much filler, not enough killer, shame, this could have been a great track.

End

Religious implications
I have to mention that throughout the cd, on the couple of occasions I’ve listened to it, Amy seems to make references to religious experiences either metaphorically or directly. I can’t tell from such a short exposure whether or not they are serious religious commentaries or, like so many other pieces of music and poetry, use religion as a stage for other stories and commentaries, time will tell, but it makes no difference to the music.

Conclusion
A very competent band with an outstanding vocalist. Unfortunately there is nothing exceptional which will make me reach for this CD tomorrow, next week or next year, I will however be watching this space to see their next un-film connected offering as I think with a different producer, a less produced and more earthy sound Evanescence could be a great band with a sound all of their own.

That’s all, thanks, keeping it gangster……. my a*se.