by Sam Pheifle, The Portland Phoenix, 11.17.02
***1/2 Now is Now
TRANSITIONS (A Lot of Records). One of the problems with Now is Now is that it’s
difficult to get a bead on what exactly Now is Now is: trio, solo act, alt-rock
band, singer-songwriter? There’s nothing wrong with versatility, but it can
often hamper consistency. Sometimes you’ll see Mitch Alden playing solo acoustic
happy hours at the Free Street Taverna, calling himself Now is Now. This is the
act you hear on "Sail Away," as intricate finger picking gives way to delicate
vocals along the lines of "singing songs from inside of me." High-register
backup vocals from Lindi cement a pretty number not far from a Rufus Wainwright
or an Elliot Smith. Other times you’ll see Mitch Alden backed by, say, the guys
from the Reedlings, playing on the State Theatre stage, still as Now is Now, and
they turn into a pretty good pop-rock outfit. This is the sort of thing you’ll
find in "Daydream," though here on the album Alden is backed by bassist Jon
Bistline and drummer Louis Dugal. The supporting cast performs admirably. With
its forays into falsetto, the tune bends toward a melancholy Coldplay number,
but with a slightly more rock sentiment.
In fact, everything on this
album sounds pretty good. It just doesn’t really sound like a cohesive album.
"Into Darkness" has some great chunky rock guitars that get damn near uplifting
mid-way through the tune, balancing out some Irish-pop vocals from Alden. If the
choruses were a little more aggressive, the tune could even qualify as Green Day
pop-punk. But what a contrast to "Down," a quiet piece more along the lines of
Semisonic or Stone Temple Pilots in their acoustic days. Alden’s voice is at its
best (lost is that Irish brogue), and the splash cymbal and slow strum lend a
great alt-country feel. Between these two is "Heaven Helps," featuring a
transcendent chorus, but here employing some voice distortion while Alden’s
consistent rhythm guitar holds the song together. There’s also a Led Zeppelin
sounding instrumental in "Transitions."
Fans who have been awaiting this
album for the past nine months or so should be happy that the very creative
Alden has finally brought his many songwriting tacks to CD, but may be
disappointed with the fact that there are only nine songs, and that the disc
seems to have suffered from being produced over a long period of
time.
Sam Pfeifle is the chief editor for the Portland Phoenix,
207-773-8900, spfeifle@phx.com.
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