Review of "Hello, good friend."
by Jon Cole
Raised By The Radio.com
May, 2005
Rating: 9.8/10Release date: May 17, 2005 - Label: The Militia Group
Recording an album is, as much as anything, a balancing act. It's about finding just the right mix of tension and release. Of passion & technique. Of excitement and beauty. Of originality & familiarity. It can't be too predictable, or it loses it's life, but it can't be too organic or it fails to connect with the listener. It's tough to record a good album. And a lot of seasoned musicians still can't quite find the balance. But somehow Bryce Avary, barely in his twenties, has come incredibly close. It's one of those flawless albums, up there with the Beatles' Revolver, Michael Jackson's Thriller, or Weezer's Blue album.
To understand Hello Good Friend, you have to understand The Rocket Summer, which means you have to understand Bryce Avary. Because Bryce Avary is the Rocket Summer. He plays all of the instruments on the album. And it's good because no one's trying to keep up with his excitement & his passion. Not many people could. The drums are every bit as creative and inspired as the guitars which are every bit as creative and inspired as the vocals which are every bit as creative and inspired as the tambourines. Every beat and every melody is the product of the vision of Bryce. This album couldn't have been created any other way.
The album's intro, Move to the Other Side of the Block, sets the mood for the entire album & introduces several of the recurring. I absolute despise the word "uplifting," but there's something inspirational about Bryce's songwriting. It's simple, but in a very powerful way. It's never wordy or condescending, but it never fails to communicate completely. It's nothing if not efficient, & sometimes anything more just complicates things. Bryce's passionate vocals & much improved musicianship only serve to amplify the message of the songs. Bryce's piano skills have taken a tremendous leap since Calendar Days, and he plays with a fluidity not found on the last album. His drum chops have taken a step up, too... the strokes are much cleaner and there's a lot more technical playing on the album.
You could almost say Move to the Other Side of the Block serves as a false start, because just as quickly as it builds up, it fades out, only to have the second track, I Was So Alone, blast in at full throttle. And not only does it kick off in full swing, it doesn't let off for a second. I can confidently say that I've never heard more energy packed into two minutes and thirty five seconds in my life. If this song doesn't inspire you to dance, I would question whether or not you have an actual pulse. For epic full-on rock'n roll, Bryce shows he can go toe-to-toe with the most revered of arena rock bands. The verses are full of incredible tension, and when it finally explodes into the chorus, it feels more like a charging locomotive than anything I can remember ever hearing. The most amazing aspect of the song is that there are so many parts... patterns rarely last more than 4 measures, but often it's 1 or 2. The song darts & dives like you wouldn't believe, but it's not awkward even for a second... it flows perfectly from beginning to end.
The tempo drops a bit for Around the Clock, a bouncy piano pop ballad, with the hookiest chorus you can imagine. Musically, this song is one of the simpler tunes on the album, but what it lacks in melody changes it makes up for in sincerity and sheer catchiness. It's followed up by the acoustic laced I'm Doing Everything For You, which documents his marriage proposal to his then-girlfriend. The verses feature one of the more creative vocal melodies on the album, but the star of this song is the layers and layers of guitar. The soaring lead in the bridge is probably the highlight of the entire song, right before he cuts into the vocal melody... if you can't appreciate anything about Bryce's music, you cannot deny that these songs are incredibly rich, sonically.
Tell Me Something Good provides another drop in tempo, & marks the first ballad of the album. The song starts out relatively tame, but builds in intensity with every chorus through the guitar solo, which showcases Bryce's incredible sense of melody (it's not showy for a single second... that's not what Bryce's music is about, but that doesn't keep it from being beautiful). After the solo, the music drops out and Bryce bemoans, "See I just wanna be 'it,' a guy who wins all the time. I wanna be a big star, a king & rule my own life. But God I know it's wrong, so please just make my heart right inside & destroy my pride" before exploding back into the chorus. Whereas most bands would come off as cheesy or contrived singing about their struggles with pride, Bryce radiates sincerity & somehow it just works. The album picks up again with Never Knew, another sincere piano ballad that kicks the album back into rock out mode. The guitar & bass drop out after the chorus, shoving one of the most fantastic keyboard parts in life to the forefront of the song... the tone is gorgeous, and the melody couldn't possibly fit the vocals any better. The first real evidence of Tim O'Heir's production comes at the end of this track when the refrain continues, but the instruments fade out into a "power down" noise, where the track ends on piano & Bryce singing. Brilliant.
Brat Pack, the album's lead single, then creeps in deceptively over sparse piano before growing into one of the most contagious dance rock song ever written. The Jackson Five-esque guitar combined with the half-rapped vocals & high hat diddles during the chorus are sure to melt the ice off the heart of the emo-est of emo kids. It's just plain funky, but in the most rawkin' of ways. "C'mon, say, "Oh! oh!" Get on the floor! Dance 'till you got no more! I know it's there somewhere. Don't worry I'll be there to rock the party all night, to rock until it's light our FISTS IN THE AIR FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT!" It's glorious, I tell you... just glorious.
After Brat Pack, a rest is most definitely needed, and so Bryce slips in Treasures, a gorgeous little two minute piano ballad. The song examines what he considers valuable, but it's easy to miss the message entirely by getting wrapped up in the incredible melodies. Quickly the album changes directions again with Story, my personal favorite track on the album. The track features one of the most unique uses of muting I've ever heard, linking the first & second verses with a flurry of muted guitar. The chorus comes in the form of a tongue twister that takes a few listens to learn, but is easily the funnest thing to sing along with in all of life. The prechorus to the second chorus contains one of the most incredible moments on the entire album... "But man, you're killing me, this charade has got to end, so stop actin' like you know everything. 'Cause you're MISSING THE POINT, you were supposed to be my fri-ee-ii-ee-ii-ee-iind, Go!!!" I'm aware that it seems silly typed out, but when you listen to the album you will totally understand.
Continuing the roller coaster theme of the second half of the cd, Story is followed by an incredible acoustic ballad called Goodbye Waves & Driveways. The song features Bryce at his most vulnerable on the album, as he describes the aftermath of a fight with his then-girlfriend (now wife). The acoustic guitar is joined by bass, drums and a cello at the second verse, and then a violin before slowly growing into a full-on string section. The bridge is so incredible that I won't even describe it... it's definitely the climax of the album, and quite possibly the most incredible vocal performance I've heard in my life.
Whether or not Show Me Everything You've Got's chorus is the hookiest chorus on the album is debatable, but there's no denying that it contains the most impressive drum work. It flips back & fourth from a straight forward 2/4 beat to offbeat snares & diddles on the hats. The highlight is a deliciously funky little breakdown halfway through the second verse. Incredible stuff. Track twelve, Destiny, follows with the most ambitious guitar work on the album. The song itself is a soaring power pop tune that does more to shake you than hook you (in a good way, though), but then builds into a frantic explosion of angular guitar rock that serves to suck out whatever rawk & roll energy you have left, & leave you prepared for the ensuing finale.
Christmas Present is 4 minutes of acoustic guitar before Bryce comes in and serenades his lady in one of the most sincere love songs I've ever known to be recorded. The song goes on through the 8 minute mark, allowing for plenty of closure. And then the secret track... well if I wrote about it, it wouldn't be a secret. I will say it gives me chills, though.
I would give this album a perfect 10 if I wasn't absolutely positive that Bryce will top himself again a year or two from now, so I need to have room to accurately score that album (and the one after that, if my tiny little site lasts that long). The musicianship is incredible, and the vocals are unique & 100% sincere. The lyrics aren't the least bit contrived, & round out a package that is nothing short of incredible.
Tim O'Heir's production is sparse in the best way possible. The album is much larger than Calendar Days, but it's still genuinely the Rocket Summer. It doesn't feel like anything was done that Bryce wouldn't have done on the first album if he had the means to.
This album is bigger than just a spring release of '05. It's bigger than the next big thing. It's a benchmark that pop music must, from now on, live up to. This is an ingeniously written and incredibly unique diamond in the rough that will, if all is right in the world, be seen in retrospect as one of the most musically excellent offerings of this time period. Pop has never sounded to rich and full, let alone this joyous & catchy.
There's nothing left to say except buy the album by clicking here.
Also, Casey says it's awesome.