CD Review: Cove Road - Psychadelephant

You may not know it, but there is a ton of music out there waiting to be discovered. Much of it will never find an audience on the national stage, some will not even get to a regional level.

You may be wondering just what this has to do with Cove Road. Let me confront your wonderment with a question: Have you ever heard of Cove Road? I can just about guarantee that the vast majority of you are saying "no." Would you like to know why? It's because they are a local band. They are a band trying to forge their own path and make it on their own terms. Will they? Who knows? But with your help, they could have a shot.

This is not a plea on the behalf of the band; it is more something that everyone can do in their home towns. Seek out the clubs, bars, and dives that book local bands. Go see as many as you can, before long you are sure to find a band worth your time. Okay, enough of my plea on the behalf of local music in general. Is Cove Road a band you spend your time on? The short answer is yes.

Cove Road hails from Poughkeepsie, New York, and the summer of 2007 saw the release of their first album, the self-produced Psychadelephant. It is a pretty good disk, not perfect by any stretch, but impressive for a young act.

Their sound is created at the crossroads of a number of genres. Rock, metal, funk, groove, jam, and others converge to create a sound that is instantly familiar and welcoming as it is different. If you are sick to death of all those sond-alike bands on the radio and the myriad copycats that lurk around the outskirts looking for scraps like a remora on a shark, than Cove Road may serve as a nice antidote.

The album begins with a Ramones-like count as "Cheap Imitation Brand" gets off to a rocking start. Brett's vocals come in, reminiscent of Faith No More's original frontman, Chuck Mosley, as the band ratchets up the energy. The cut gives a good indication of what to expect for the rest of the album, but it is merely a step stone for the stronger songs.

Track two brings Rollins Band to mind as some hardcore influences make themselves apparent in "Science of Thieves." It is a lean and mean song, barely crossing the two and a half minute mark. However, it makes those moments memorable, with a nice 'n heavy breakdown at the midpoint. The energy is kept up with "Robert Conroy," offering up a funky vibe crossed with a touch of the heavy.

"Polly Clotte" slows the forward moment, introducing a psychedelic element to their sound. An alt-epic track that offers a big, room-filling sound that begs for little swaying as the guitars swirl around your head. Of course, while that is a big part of the song, it builds back into a cacophony the closer to end we move. By this time, the swaying has stopped and the flying elbows have begun. It is a finely crafted song that encompasses much of the different styles the band employs.

The psychedelic elements continue on the trippy instrumental "Christ Offer." This track is filled with some smooth guitar and bass playing while ambient noise plays around in the background. This is a good example of the maturity and skill that Cove Road possessess. This is not merely filler, it is an extension of their creativity and works towards bringing together all of the elements of their game.

As we begin our journey towards the albums conclusion, Cove Road displays their more blatantly heavy side with "Lumberjack." It is easily the heaviest creation on Psychadelephant. Filled to the brim with heavy chugging riffs and driving drums, you will be hard pressed not to rock your head a bit.

"Father's Son" is the band's true epic. It is a sprawling song that runs north of 11 minutes. It is a rock and roll jam that has plenty of soul, heaviness, and emotion. This a signature song for the album, even moreso than "Polly Clotte." "Father's Son" takes its time, never rushing from moment to moment, the song has an ebb and flow all its own. Cove Road makes use of all the tools at their disposal, using them to the advantage of the song and never letting it become repetitive.

Psychadelephant comes to a close with "Subway Hero." Where "Lumberjack" is there heaviest cut, this is their angriest. Stepping away from the psychedelic and jam moments of that inform much of the music on the disk, "Subway Hero" switches that out for flat-out-in-your-face aggression. This is how you want to end an album, leave your audience exhausted and wanting for more.

As a band, they display a level of maturity and skill not often seen at this early stage of their career. However, as good as their songwriting can be, there are always rooms for improvements, at least to my ear. I cannot claim to be a big fan of the vocalist. The vocals just sound a bit off, not quite as passionate as I think they could be. I have heard worse, but I cannot help but feel that a more passionate and raw voice would be better suited.

I like the two guitars, They exhibit strong skills at creating ambience and heaviness and play together well. Meanwhile, the rhythm section is solid. The bass player has some nice lines that are actually audible, he plays a big part in the mix which is nice to hear, and the drums are suitably driving and heavy.

Bottomline. Cove Road has a lot to offer, even at this relatively early stage. I would like to experience them live, see how well they can recreate what they have made here. So, in the end, yes, Cove Road is definitely deserving of your time.

Recommended.