"Piebald has grown, that's for sure, and I'm glad they got more creative with this album. However, they definitely still have the same catchiness I heard when I first listened to "We Are The Only Friends"... This is the kind of album that grows on you. Really, because the new album is a bit different stylistically, you should be able to find something you like. My favorite tracks from it currently: The Benefits of Ice Cream, Human Taste Test, Haven't Tried It, and Part of Your Body Is Made of Rock. Travis's voice still sounds great (Put Your Slippers On Instead comes to mind). Don't be discouraged by the negative reviews; give "All Ears" a try."
Listen to each song more than once, they grow on you because
Vanessa Ladouceur | Carthage, NY | 12/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"O.K., nobody said piebald was a regular cookie cutter band. They are orignal. First, you need to hear these piebald songs: American Hearts, Part of your body is made out of rock, Just a simple plan, I haven't tried it, and get old or die trying. After these songs grow on you, you understand their style, then the rest of their stuff will grow on you. The more you hear them, the more you can't get them out of your head. It's awesomely horrible. My dad is 40 and I'm 17. Piebald is one of the few bands that we agree on. If you don't like emo/indie/punkrock type of music, you probally won't like these guys, but if you're like me and love this genre of music, you'll fall in love."
Different Sound, New Ground.
Randall Peach | Massachusetts | 07/09/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really got into these guys after their previous album "We Are the Only Friends That We Have'. It's a lot of fun to listen to and every song is great. I got a promo of 'All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time' at work and I gotta say that I wasn't that impressed after the first listen, maybe I was expecting 'All Ears...' to sound exactly like their previous album which I thought was awesome. Piebald has changed dramatically over the past few years and I think that they have truly pinpointed their form on this record. The lyrics are a little more mature than their last effort and the playing has never been better. Travis does a lot more piano playing on this disc adding to the overall effect of the music. I'm an Ipod guy so I usually delete the songs that don't really do much for me. I kept 8 of the tracks on my Ipod that I really enjoyed. I don't want to list all the ones I liked but I think that 8 out of 12 (minus interludes and postludes) isn't too shabby. I think that 'All Senses Lost' is probably my favorite song on the record ("You callous the body to make you a man, Harder to touch but that was the plan"). The lyrics on this album are poignant and a little heartbreaking, but in a good way. This album is full of different styles and these guys should be proud of what they've accomplished. I also think its kind of cool that if I wanted to I could go to my nearest Newbury Comics and ask Andy (the bass player) how the band is going. A few of the band members are now in an MTV commercial that is spreading the word to help make your automobile more earth-friendly. This band is really something special and you should check them out. SPREAD THE WORD!"
A Consistently Good Sound
undertak2000 | Boston, MA, United States | 06/09/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album seems to evolve past "We Are The Only Friends We Have" and at the same time draw from "Venetian Blinds". It moves away from the more poppy sound of "Friends" and indulges their creative side. So what if it doesn't sound exactly like all their previous stuff? Who wants to hear the same thing twice? From "The Benefits of Ice Cream" to "The Song That Launched 1,000 Ships" and "All Senses Lost", this is the most consistent and inventive Piebald album to date. Travis' vocals are a nice break from the streamlined whiny teenager that we hear so often on FM radio. Instead of feeling bad about all the world's problems, Piebald uses Travis' wit to sing about how stupid it is to worry about everything. In "The Benifits of Ice Cream", Travis sings, "Hey most pessimistic boy in LA/Have some ice cream and relax in the shade". Piebald's sound might be something that long-time Piebald fans are not quite used to, but it's inventive and shows that they are able to evolve and want to explore, something that we don't usually hear."