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Home Grown
“When It All Comes Down”
Drive Thru Records 2004
CD Review By Keith Joseph, Rockstarpix.TV
Ever since the release of “Kings of Pop” in 2002, Home Grown has been constantly on tour. Earlier this year they took some time off to record some new tunes so fans wouldn’t forget about them. This became the six-song teaser “When It All Comes Down”.
“Keep Your Distance” is the first song of the album. The song seems to be a lot more emotional than the previous, fun-loving music of the band. It seems as the albums progress, the music situations also become a lot more mature. As in the last record, “When It All Comes Down” just adds on to the personal issues of the last albums. The music is still as poppy, punky and rock ‘n’ roll as their previous work but more mature lyrically. The first track is a good representation of their pop-rock style. The second track on the album is “Cross My Heart”. Adam Lohrbach sings the lead vocals, and for some reason, sounds whiney. The song is very catchy and is very upbeat but the vocals seem to lack. “I Was Right About This” switches the lead vocals to John Tran. The song begins with guitar and a slow drum beat played by Darren Reynolds. The addition of second guitarist Dan Hammond, really allows the band to be more creative. Their music has become a lot better because of the addition.
“ Midnight City Sky” is a very strong, fast paced rock song. Lohrbach’s vocals seem to be a lot better in this song than “Cross My Heart”. This is a sound that a fan would never have expected from the band when they began almost 8 years ago. “I Win You Lose” is a very good song. This really shows how much maturity the band has gone through since their previous record. The chorus is very explosive. The verses have a sound kind of like old-school Green Day. “What Would Love Do Now” is a good finishing track? They didn’t change the style of this song compared to the rest of the album, and it finishes the album with a bang.
Home Grown have had so much experience and it seems as if they are perfecting their sound more now then ever before. The only flaw in their music is they seem to stick into one genre and not really explore different sounds. As much as they have matured, they seem as if they aren’t open into incorporating different things into their music. This album seemed to be under-produced but it still a good listen especially for hardcore Home Grown or fans such as me who have been listening to them for the past 5 years or longer. The band has matured more lyrically, then musically.
“When It All Comes Down” is a great listen for fans of Denver Harbor, Amber Pacific and Spitalfield. At the Asbury Park Skate and Surf Festival, Home Grown played a Journey cover which was an awesome performance, how come it wasn’t recorded on the ep? It could have made a good track to throw on the album but hopefully they will incorporate it into a future album.
Rating - C+ (7.5)
Significant Tracks- “Midnight City Sky”, “I Win, You Lose”, “What Would Love Do Now”
Keith Joseph
www.homegrownonline.com
www.drivethrurecords.com
produced by Michael Giambra / rockstarpix.tv Copyright 2004
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