This title is the major-label debut and second overall release from Salem, MA-based
Vesica Pisces. The band's unusual name is derived from the sacred geometry pattern of two intersecting circles that also share the same radius -- such as the golden rings that grace the
Halfway to Naked (2003) cover art. The quartet features the respective talents of
Kelly Fitzgerald (vocals/guitar/percussion),
Brian Pothier (guitar/vocals/mandolin/alto sax),
Adam Nicol Roach (drums/percussion/vocals), and
Bill Bleschke (bass/vocals). The combo first came to fame after winning the Los Angeles Music Award for Best Adult Contemporary Artist in 2000. They were also making a name for themselves via incessant touring in support of their 1999 self-titled debut effort. Their time in the trenches -- doing upwards of 200 live dates a year around the globe -- has paid off with this collection of a baker's dozen of originals and one well-chosen cover of
Wayne Kramer's
"No Easy Way Out." Undoubtedly, the influence of veteran producer
Jack Douglas has much to do with the album's decidedly clean and radio-friendly tone. Rather than simply temper
Vesica Pisces' raw and more aggressive side, he allows the band to unleash its own highly stylized brand of contemporary
pop/rock. The band's sound centers on
Fitzgerald's uniformly riveting lead vocals, which lie somewhere between the unrefined and earthy passion of
Melissa Etheridge and the throaty
power pop of
Sheryl Crow. Likewise,
Fitzgerald asserts her command of both the languid and pastoral
"Peace Is Not the Absence" as well as the upbeat
"Groovy Town." Potheir's fretwork provides a series of interesting textures, ranging from the unplugged bite of the mandolin that highlights
"Something to Hold Onto" to the funky wah-wah intro of
"Single" or the Mellotron-esque sound incorporated into
"Settlesville," reminiscent of
George Harrison's contributions to
"Badge." Overall,
Vesica Pisces' solid yet airy and overall radio-friendly sound should score with both
pop and
rock enthusiasts in equal measure. ~ Lindsay Planer
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