Posts Tagged ‘THE GRACIOUS FEW’

Wow. That’s all I could manage to utter as the first track from The Gracious Few’s self-titled album started blaring though my speakers. The supergroup, comprised of members of Candlebox and Live, has amassed an impressive collection of heavy brooding groove-laden tunes. This is not Live 2.0, or another flavor of Candlebox; the project has taken on a life and personality of its own. The Gracious Few is easily one of my top three favorite albums of 2010.

The opening track, “Appetite,” has a killer riff with Zeppelin-esque grandeur. Again, wow. The band’s chemistry is blazing hot, and it’s a great track for Kevin Martin to stretch-out his vocal prowess. Unrelenting, the band continues unleashing its aural arsenal on the second track “Honest Man,” another heavy track with a powerful chorus. “Nothing But Love” is every cover/tribute band’s worst nightmare because Martin doesn’t even sound like he’s breaking a sweat while hitting that upper register. With such power, his vocals blow through the stratosphere.

While this project is not meant to be an extension of the members’ previous work, there are a few moments of undeniable similarity. It would be unfair to expect the band to wipe away twenty years of experience while writing songs for this album. “Crying Time” reminds me of some of the melancholy mid-90′s music that Candlebox produced, while the following track “Silly Thing” has a lively rhythmic groove very much like something from Mental Jewelry.

To hear some new tunes visit MYSPACE

To read the complete review visit TYPE 3 MEDIA