Search - Moe :: Conch (Dig)

Moe. Still Has It

Brian Klein | Villa Park, Illinois United States | 01/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a long time moe.ron, having seen them over 50 times and I attend the annual SummerCamp and moe.Down festivals, I am always uneasy when they release "studio" albums (I put "studio" in quotes becasue they record the songs live and then tweak them in the studio) because they are predominantly a live band, and a killer one at that. The Conch continues moe.'s sound of rockin' jamming, with a little more emphasis on the rock and a little less on the jammin'. Now I know that some other moe.rons will complain that they are departing from the sound that got them where they are today. But I say that if you stay with one style and don't expand, you get stagnant and then people claim that you are standing still.



That said, pick up The Conch and you will not be disappointed, unless you like standing still."

Never doubt moe.

Sol Rosenberg | NYC | 01/26/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Given the fact that moe.'s previous CD, "Wormwood", represented a masterpiece within the jam-based community and given the fact that I had been underwhelmed upon hearing most of the songs from the new CD when performed live over the past couple of years, my expectations for "The Conch" were admittedly low. But if there's one thing this long-time "moe.ron" SHOULD know by now, it's that you should never doubt this band when it comes to crafting intelligent, grooving and infectious songs. Needless to say, this CD FAR exceeded my expectations, so much so that I view it as more of a continuation of the excellence exhibited on the aforementioned "Wormwood". Yeah, it's that good, folks.



moe. chose to record the core of both "Wormwood" and "The Conch" in a live setting for a simple reason: the energy of even the best jam/improv-oriented bands like moe. is typically lost upon entering the sterile studio environment. By recording these CDs live, then performing studio dubs and post-production work, moe. is able to give the fans the energy and creativity that draws them to their shows in the first place. Of course, it takes a band comprised of stellar musicians such as moe. to be able to pull off such a feat. Lesser acts are forced to utilize the studio as a crutch which is designed to piece together fragments of polished, "studio-friendly" music in order to create a final product which can be mass-marketed to the American Idol types. Bands like moe., on the other hand, thrive in live and improvisational settings, allowing them to take entire pieces of live music and apply post-production "bits and pieces" in the studio for an end result which is more accurately representative of what you will hear from the band when you actually see them live. Simply put, moe. isn't afraid of the "warts and all" because even the warts outshine the pre-packaged, saccharine tripe which is typically spoon-fed to the masses.



As for the CD itself, while there are some interesting-departures (the vaguely jazz-tinged "Blue Jeans Pizza" and the somber "Summer o i" and the basso continuo "MacIntyre Range"), much of it represents the type of continued evolution with which we have already become familiar with "Wormwood" and "Dither". Songs such as "The Road", "Tailspin" and even "Wind it Up" would not have seemed TOO terribly out of place in 2001, though the songs represent a more logical progression when heard 6 years later.



So if you, like me, are a long-time moe.ron who has enjoyed the band's progression over the years, you'll love this CD. If you aren't a fan of the more "noodly" jam bands, check this CD out. These guys emphasize the importance of a finely-crafted song structure instead of just writing an "excuse" to jam."

Moe.'s back in full form.

Christopher K. McCann | White Plains, NY | 09/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, let me address the "fans" who aren't fans. You know who you are, the ones who like the one-off songs by a band, but put them down for releasing something good. You disgust me. You probably wish that Okayalright wasn't on Wormwood, then it'd be perfect, right?



Wrong! Stop trampling on these hardworking bands, you fakers. I happen to like good songs, and if moe. decides to release an album full of them, so be it. A good song may end up being "commercial", but only because IT'S A GOOD SONG. This does not mean that they are changing, but by all means feel free to move on. The true fans will be happy to take your place.



Now let's get down to the real nitty-gritty:



The Conch is an album of what moe. does best and that is ROCK. Opening with Blue Jeans Pizza, you feel like you're at an exclusive party - just for you. Lost Along the Way & Tailspin are highlights, but then you get to this song. A song that at first sounds familiar - a little bit of Kids mixed with Crab Eyes, but there's something more.



Wind It Up is the reason to buy the album. A thirty second clip does you no good. This is the song moe. has been trying to make since they started. To compare them to one of there contemporaries: this is their Harry Hood. Just hearing it on the album you know you can see it becoming a monstrous live jam. Y Eaux Massa is the "reprise" of the end of Wind It Up.



You're at the halfway point, but moe's only getting started. Down Boy has this quirky, bouncy rhythm with a tight chorus. You can wait for the chorus, but then you can't wait for the verses. Honestly, I can see them ripping into some pretty crazy jams off of this one, too. I love the (albeit sparse) use of the guitar tube.



The next three tracks are decent (I really like Where Does the Time Go), but then you get to The Road. The Road seems to cut from the same cloth as Again & Again/Letter Home (writing style). This is a very moe. song.



I'm not going to spoil the end for you, but after getting the album, you may want to go to iTunes to buy the bonus track - McBain!



Yes, IT'S AVAILABLE AS AN INDIVIDUAL DOWNLOAD."