I’ve had the extreme pleasure of reviewing all of the albums released by Changing Modes. With each one they get more complex while staying within a short catchy songs. Now with their fourth album, called Here, they continue progressing their sound. It’s also the most complex of all of the albums while still defying classification. The addition of the Theremin could be one of the many reasons why. Just like previous releases, their influences range from progressive rock to modern art rock to some jazz and classical.
The band consists of David Oromander (drums, vocals, trumpet), Wendy Griffiths, (keyboards, vocals), Yuzuru Sadashige (bass, guitar), Grace Pulliam (vocals, percussion) and Jen Hammaker (Theremin, keyboard) whose lead vocals appears on “Louise”.
The songs are within a 2-3 minutes and have more going on than what some bands do in twice or three times the length. There’s such a diverse amount of styles that make up the album from a big band swing on “White Lightning” to a almost reggae/ska feel on “Diving Bell” to the psychedelic/orchestral ‘The Great Beyond” to the new-wave “One” which is one of my favorites off the album.
If you’re a fan of the band’s previous releases then getting “Here” is a no-brainer. For those uninitiated, image bands like Talking Heads and early Pink Floyd meshed together with an orchestral and pop vibe. As I said above I had the pleasure of reviewing all of the band’s albums and I welcomed “Here” into my collection. If that sounds up your alley, then get Here, now!
Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on October 17th, 2010
