Search - Drums & Tuba :: Mostly Ape

Mostly Good

Brooks Williams | 10/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It all begins with drummer Tony Nozero grooving all by himself. Guitarist Neal McKeeby emerges and ethereally hovers above the drums. A moment later, tuba player Brian Wolff punctuates the moment with a low note, creating a bass line. Together the three create a sound that is both new, yet accessible. On their new album, Mostly Ape, the band is out to prove that they're a rock band, despite the odd instrumentation.Most of the tracks on Mostly Ape are really great. The first track, "Brian Liaters" seems to be the most representative of the band's sound, incorporating a little of everything into a single tune. "Clashing" is another great tune that features some great and imaginative guitar work by Neal McKeeby as well as showing off Brian Wolff's ability to switch from tuba to trumpet mid-song. Overall, my favorite tune is "Goose Geese." It's a moody tune with a great bass (tuba) riff that serves as a strong foundation for some awesome layering of textures and melodies.The weakness of the album is one that is common among instrumental bands. Once a band has found their unique sound, it can be hard to consistently come up with fresh material. The result is that some songs are really strong and others simply are not. A prime example of this is "The Metrics," a song that starts out very funky, but has one of the most annoying melodies I've ever heard. But the good news is that it's only one song.Drums & Tuba take the traditional rock and roll model and bring it to another level completely. Sounding at times like the DJ Shadow or Lake Trout and other's like Led Zeppelin -- mixed with a little punk for good measure. It's a style of music that is truly without category. It's music for dancing and music for simply rocking out.If you've seen Drums & Tuba play live before, then you may recognize that this album is sounds a lot like their live show. That's because this studio recording was performed live with very few overdubs, giving even the mellowest songs a sense of urgency that comes with a live performance. The sound is truly excellent, catching all the subtle nuances of each instrument.Mostly Ape, while it has a few low points, is still mostly good."