WDOM BLOG

NYC Smoke is a band I met at CMJ by accident, and so glad that I did. Without a doubt, they play amazingly well on stage and I hope on their next album they capture that sound and energy they gave off at the show I saw. This cd is pretty good, and while it won't make the top lists of the best of 2007, it is without a doubt a band I will be looking into and hoping that they will grow with support of a label as their sound is catchy, great and fun...

...speaking of fun the cd starts out with an jamming introduction done by Pearl Jam it seems, a gentle 90's rock feel to it. It then kicks into "Stay" the first real track. The guitar sound is snarling, but the keys float on top of it. When the words kick in at 1 min, you get hooked as the verse is amazing. So well done. The guitar starts and stops fit perfectly into the working of the verse. It is here we understand the movement of this piece, as it was stuck "staying" into its chords until broken up by the words and music. While there is a huge break in the piece, I wish it had more explosive drum rebound. Regardless, this track is catchy no doubt and a good introduction to NYC Smoke..

"I Can't Hardly Wait" stars like a Fleetwood Mac song (geez, I've done a lot of Fleetwood Mac referencing lately...new trend?). It pulls you in, and the chorus ooh-oohs just fit so well on top of it. It kinda has a Matt Pond PA feel to it, but different. I think it's Howie's (lead singers) voice that kinda resembles Matt Pond's lower sound. A definitely head swinging track but feels like it could use something more. At the same time, i feel as if it was appropriately done to get that I can't hardly wait feel until the very end where it breaks free.

"You Wear Your Sin" opens up almost like an old Queens Of The Stone Age guitar feel. It continues this feel as it drives like QOTSA's "Go With The Flow" as its driving guitar and drumming work it out. 

"Use You" kinda has an Artic Monkey's "A Certain Romance" for the verse

One of my favorite tracks is "Heaven" as it has that good vibe you get from The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys (A Certain Romance). It's gotta be that awesome guitar sound they achieve that makes me revert to this all the time, but honestly its great! The guitar lick, is infectious as hell and gets stuck in your head. On of the better choruses as well and this track is definitely one of the standout songs. Also, a sick bridge at that to...

"Guilty" a slower track, but a good one at that. A gently acoustic guitar picks away and has nice keys plucking away over it. A great chord progression helps this song move a lot as it's very pleasing to the ear. The choruses contain the electric guitar, snarling away again but it's done tastefully and fits the song so.

"Give Me An Issue" is a great rock song in general. It has a good pounding guitar chord work and good verse. It even has a short guitar solo in the beginning thats great. The background vocals fit oh so nicely on this track as well. Kinda feels if the Donnas were serious about their rock as it drives so well, its hard to not ignore. Towards the end is the guitar solo we were looking for and had a tease of in the beginning. Pretty good stuff on this one, another favorite track. 

"Man On Fire" is maybe the indie-esque track some are looking for, as it has a nice guitar sweeping feel, and glides along. The chorus part is also killer. It's a great pop chorus, and moves well. Great feel on this track and catchy as well!

"Secret Machines" contains a drum machine. WOO! Kinda has the drum machine sound of Tegan and Sara's "Are You Ten Years Ago" but disbands this feel after a minute and goes into a gentle song that has a Stars feel to it. The drums go back to a real kit and give a good gentle pulse to it. The vocals on this one are well done to. Good easy track no doubt.

"Bone, Blood and Cell" is the track that catches you. All around. What a great verse and chorus. This is the other standout track as its instrumentation makes it hard not to listen. A definite head swinger, but the vocals in this one is also fantastic. I really love the melody on this one, and the general vibe you get from it. They ride this train to the end of the song where it climaxes and perfectly transforms back to the catchy rhythm placed in the beginning. 

...While not a killer album, its a good album at best. And from what I heard on their new tracks at CMJ, their new cd could possibly be that killer album that they need to put themselves more out there. They've got a good basis, catchy and their live performances are stellar. I'm hoping that this band sticks it out, and pulls through with their strengths (catchy choruses, strong guitar sound, great vocals) and carry up their weakness (not catchy that awesome live sound they had!!!). I promise you, watch out for this band, as their next CD will be all around fantastic and make them known.