(Squirrel Boy)
Maybe She Will, the long-awaited CD release from Baltimore, Maryland's Love Riot, has a lot of expectations lumped on it.
First, there is the fact that the band has won honors internationally, including the Yamaha Soundcheck competition in Japan. Then there is the album itself, being produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, who has been involved with the production of such artists as The Bottle Rockets, Blue Mountain, Nils Lofgren, and others.
Finally, of course, there's the band itself. After catching the group live in various incarnations (which most, until recently, were missing a drummer), there is the anticipation of a record that takes you on a journey; Love Riot live is a sort of spiritual experience coupled with a whole lot of groove.
So why is this album in the catagory of "OK" at best? Let's take a look at the elements: great band, great producer, indie label that allows for artistic freedom, great fan base, great songwriting...why, then, doesn't the record work better than it does?
Perhaps it comes down to one thing: energy. This band is one that thrives on direct contact, be it with the audience, the clubs, the judges...whomever they are trying to reach. And it's that energy which is missing from the album. Sure the songs are catchy, the instrumentation excellent, the vocals by frontwoman Lisa Matthews exquisite. The album, however, fails to completely translate the live show to recorded form. This is a problem, in that this band seems to be about live, stripped-down presentation.
This doesn't say that the album is a failure; not by any means. The music, as stated earlier, is catchy and the lyrics deep with emotion. Cuts such as "Home" and "Smile" tug at the heart strings, while "Don't Think Twice" gets the feet tapping and the head bobbing. The songs stay mainly in the text of the band's moniker: love. Good love, bad love, love in the making, love from afar. You name it: if it's got to do with love, Lisa has written about it.
The contributions of the remaining band members should not be overlooked. Love Riot's unique instrumentation has helped to put it on top. The current line-up hosts: Lisa on guitar and vocals, Ron Campbell on drums and percussion, Mikel Gehl on guitar, Willem Elzevir on violin and mandolin, and Mark Evanko on bass. These artists come together behind top-notch songwriting to make the Love Riot experience something special.
If you've never heard Love Riot before, by all means, Maybe She Will will surprise and impress. However, if you've seen them live before, be prepared to have mixed feelings about the recording.
