Review: Mesh CD by Frank Lazar of 181.4 Dftn!
Bands that list their influences within the liner notes of its first release take a lot of guts in my opinion. Within the notes of The Stepford Five's debut, "Mesh, " the Columbus Ohio band lists power-pop bands to that of soulful rockers Afghan Whigs. "Mesh" includes some of both, and plenty of other influences upon its first release. However, unlike its influences, the band has not yet gelled as a formidable unit capable of joining the ranks of a national ac t like The Afghan Whigs or Superdrag. Where the band is original, talented and clearly capable of writing good songs, it lacks in the area of production and musical cohesiveness. What makes a band like Afghan Whigs so great is its ability to create a powerful song structure that not only displays the song but also reinforces it through a powerful music backing. The Stepford Five has not yet reached such a "plateau." "Mesh" wavers into an individual member's influences and the band does not always come together as the sum of its parts. This combined with the lead singer's limited voice makes The Stepford Five a band with very good material but desperately in need of a good vocal coach and producer. The influences are there, and the band has been able to create something original based upon those predecessors with "Mesh," but maybe The Stepford Five could do better by re-recording it.
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