Emotionalpunk.com
Media Review
Music Quality: 7.0
Production: 8.0
Originality: 7.0
Tracklisting
2. Motion Pictures About Love
3. Hellbent
4. They Notice
5. Nothing Left For You
6. Twenty One
7. Solstice
8. Lipstick and Rouge
9. The Dangerous Kind
10. The Motivation
11. Sonar
Often times, a band’s second attempt can leave you high and dry. You’ve all heard of it – that dreaded sophomore slump. I’m in no position to say that Celebrity’s new album is uninspiring, but I can safely say that the vein from which any previous inspiration was drawn seems to have waned slightly. I’ve been finding myself in this position frequently, haven’t I? While the band’s latest effort is still a generally agreeable disc, it just doesn’t live up to some previous undertakings.
The disc opens with the brief, acoustic based interlude called “Blood Sugar” before launching into “Motion Pictures About Love”, which is arguably one of the album’s premier tracks. I do have to hand it to them, for they really do stay pretty true to form as far as the album’s instrumentation is concerned. Yet again, the band has produced another stunning display of lush, elaborate instrumentation. The use of reverb combined with their meandering, melodious tendencies make for a rather exquisite experience in sound. When the band strays from their area of expertise and turn up the amps, they can still pound out some great guitar tracks.
Also applaudable are frontman Lance Hughes’s simple yet poignant lyrical ventures. Perhaps the most insightful comes to us by way of “Twenty One.” He imparts to us, “And the world was twenty the day it happened. I’m only just beginning to count the days that I’ve been dead.” He seems truly forlorn and dejected, which is equally as evident in the band’s somber, minimalistic “Lipstick and Rouge”. Lance sings, “Somewhere already knows my place. There is nowhere I haven’t felt the same.” They tie in perfectly with Celebrity’s atmospheric and often ominous arrangements.
I’m not all praise and good tidings, however. One of the band’s best assets was Lance’s ability to strike a deep emotional chord with his vocals. Some tracks seem to almost completely absorb his proclamations, leaving us with some commonplace performances. As hard as it is for me to explain, he just can’t seem to find his voice. His once sensuous and profound vocal stylings are now just a bit...off.
While “Mining For Twilight” doesn’t quite break any ground like their “Lovesick” debut did, there is still plenty to be excited about. It wonderfully exhibits, yet again, the band’s ability to generate some truly beautiful music.