| CD REVIEW |
| YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE WORLD - THE MORNING STARS Reviewed by D.M. Wells |
 |
| TO RETURN TO THE CD REVIEWS INDEX PAGE, |
 |
 |
| This debut entry comes from Hamilton brothers Mars and Michael Ivic (with Toronto drummer Donn Dixon of Skaface, Factor Fiction, etc.). Thanks to the long-established mastering excellence of Nick Blagona of Metalworks (along with engineering and mixing duties from Roman Klun, Luke Fountain and Ian Bodzasi), these well-crafted songs by the Ivics retain an uncluttered simplicity without losing any original acoustic charm.
As a mere trio, The Morning Stars manage to pack a punch into these songs, which painlessly average around four minutes in length, so any potential virtuoso posturing is non-existent. Lead/rhythm guitarist Mars and bass guitarist Michael (both of whom also perform on keys and tambourine), alternate on strong lead vocals, although I personally prefer the more upbeat tracks that were lyrically composed and sung by Michael. If you dig the rhythm + melody format popularized by The Beatles, Badfinger, The Kinks, U2, Oasis and The Anger Brothers (a Goddo offshoot), check this out! �Hearts for the Living�, a pulsating rock anthem featuring a soaring guitar and heart-pounding drum, kick-starts the groove before gearing down just a touch for the radio-friendly pop-rock feel of �Wrong�. Contrary to the protest that: �I�m happy in my song yet no one listens�, this one could encourage repeated rotation on the airwaves. Strangely enough, I thought the title track (lyrics by Mars) was the weak link, compared to the rest of the CD. The lyrics begin reflectively: �Why should I pretend to be in love? Why should I wake up when the rain won�t stop?� But then even he admits, �I don�t know what to sing right here.� If there was ever a funeral dirge written for a relationship gone wrong, this is it. �Steal My Love�, composed by Mars, is similarly morose, but he�s a bit more unsympathetic in these musings: �I�m giving up cause you�re bringing me down; I�m giving you up so take off your crown (of thorns, I�m surmising). My favourite tracks are �Waiting at Your Door�, a cheerful ska-rocker, infused with some classical guitar, and the subsequent �All Coming Down�, a lighter-weight but still classic-rockin� bit of psychedelia along the lines of U2�s �Bullet the Sky� or Hendrix�s �Roomful of Mirrors�. �Don�t Waste Time�, a lyrical collaboration between the two brothers, seems to offer a musical nod towards The Watchmen or The Northern Pikes. �Breaking Into Your World� slows down the pace to a gentle sway and features the Ivics on duet vocals. It�s another memorable tune out of several, with Michael�s lyrics telling a story of unrequited, fraudulent love, with a great little bit of chuckling at the end. �Fall� is a continuation of mournful accusations: �Oh shut your mouth; I made my peace, I won�t repeat myself; Oh shut your mouth, you don�t give up unless I give in.� Instrumentally speaking, it�s one of the best keyboard tracks and a well-chosen closer. It�s too bad the liner booklet photograph of the Hamilton City Centre clocktower wasn�t zoomed in closer � it would have exposed the mysterious anarchy symbol on its bell. Visit www.themorningstars.com for info on how to buy You Can't Change the World. |