The Background:
Gloriana has already created quite a stir over the last several months opening for Taylor Swift on her “Fearless 2009 Tour.” The group was formed when brothers Tom Gossin, 27, and Mike Gossin, 24, moved to Nashville in the winter 2008 and began collaborating with Rachel Reinert, 19, and Cheyenne Kimball, 18. After a few inspiring jam sessions, a new and modern country band was born. Before they even had a name, the four toured the southeast, playing for free and coming up with different band names each night. Their first recordings soon found their way to Matt Serletic, who brought the group’s distinct sound to Emblem Music Group. Known for his work with Rob Thomas, Willie Nelson, and Aerosmith, Serletic co-wrote and produced the band’s album and first single “Wild At Heart.”
The Review:
On this freshman album by the quartet, vocal harmonies get the front and center spotlight, Gloriana channels their inner Little Big Town as the talented group makes a first impression- a first impression as a pop group, however. The first two tracks are upbeat percussion-paloozas, heavy on cymbals and drum tracks. The album takes the modern country-rock movement the route of Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country”- performed throughout with vocal gymnastics. If you listen to it as a pop-country mindset, it’s energetic, upbeat, fun, and young. But it’s not mainstream country music- even by today’s liberal standards. If this is mainstream country, then The Eagles & John Mellencamp fall on the Hank Williams side of things on the country meter. The biggest challenge I have with this album, however, is unlike Randy Houser’s “Anything Goes” where he sings from a perspective of experience or David Nail’s “Red Light” where there’s an actual identifiable person in the song, few of the songs tell a story. Few of them have a protagonist in the song- least of all the singers themselves- that you can identify with emotionally. It’s like an entire album of third party conversation. In an effort to identify with the broadest audience possible, it’s not connected with anyone specifically. I want to place myself in the song as a listener and with Gloriana, I found that difficult. It’s American Idol country music, more concerned with the how you can sing instead of the what you’re singing. It’s when they slow it down acoustically when Gloriana sounds their best, uncluttered by production.
Sounds Like:
Little Big Town Crossed With Joan Jett & The Blackhearts or 1990’s Heart
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Wild At Heart
Time To Let Me Go
The Verdict:
Two and A Half Stars Out Of Five
Gloriana has already created quite a stir over the last several months opening for Taylor Swift on her “Fearless 2009 Tour.” The group was formed when brothers Tom Gossin, 27, and Mike Gossin, 24, moved to Nashville in the winter 2008 and began collaborating with Rachel Reinert, 19, and Cheyenne Kimball, 18. After a few inspiring jam sessions, a new and modern country band was born. Before they even had a name, the four toured the southeast, playing for free and coming up with different band names each night. Their first recordings soon found their way to Matt Serletic, who brought the group’s distinct sound to Emblem Music Group. Known for his work with Rob Thomas, Willie Nelson, and Aerosmith, Serletic co-wrote and produced the band’s album and first single “Wild At Heart.”
The Review:
On this freshman album by the quartet, vocal harmonies get the front and center spotlight, Gloriana channels their inner Little Big Town as the talented group makes a first impression- a first impression as a pop group, however. The first two tracks are upbeat percussion-paloozas, heavy on cymbals and drum tracks. The album takes the modern country-rock movement the route of Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country”- performed throughout with vocal gymnastics. If you listen to it as a pop-country mindset, it’s energetic, upbeat, fun, and young. But it’s not mainstream country music- even by today’s liberal standards. If this is mainstream country, then The Eagles & John Mellencamp fall on the Hank Williams side of things on the country meter. The biggest challenge I have with this album, however, is unlike Randy Houser’s “Anything Goes” where he sings from a perspective of experience or David Nail’s “Red Light” where there’s an actual identifiable person in the song, few of the songs tell a story. Few of them have a protagonist in the song- least of all the singers themselves- that you can identify with emotionally. It’s like an entire album of third party conversation. In an effort to identify with the broadest audience possible, it’s not connected with anyone specifically. I want to place myself in the song as a listener and with Gloriana, I found that difficult. It’s American Idol country music, more concerned with the how you can sing instead of the what you’re singing. It’s when they slow it down acoustically when Gloriana sounds their best, uncluttered by production.
Sounds Like:
Little Big Town Crossed With Joan Jett & The Blackhearts or 1990’s Heart
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Wild At Heart
Time To Let Me Go
The Verdict:
Two and A Half Stars Out Of Five
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