REVIEW: Fleming & John, The Way We Are (Universal)
- John Davidson
From their living room studio in Nashville, Fleming McWilliams and her husband John Mark Painter have taken a determined step forward from 1995's Delusions of Grandeur. At once melodic and eccentric, the myriad of pop stylings and voicings on "The Way We Are" avoids easy categorization. Long-time friend and collaborator Ben Folds has called the group "The Carpenters of the 90s with the Led Zeppelin rhythm section," but the Carpenters were never this complicated and Zeppelin never so tasteful.
They could have a radio hit if they wanted ("Comfortable" or the giddy, bouncy "Radiate") but Fleming & John seem content throughout the album to experiment with as many musical ideas as they can, creating complex musical landscapes. The strength of this approach is that some of the chances they take work: the waltz on "Suppressed Emotions" and the disco tempo of "Sadder Day" seem to fit in and shine. The downside is that some songs appear out of place, and occasionally the tinkering can be excessive. John, a talented arranger and multi-instrumentalist who does almost everything on the album but sing lead, seems fascinated with production at times. He mostly avoids overdoing things, but a simple ballad like "Don't Let it Fade" probably needed little more accompaniment than a guitar. Like her husband, Fleming also embraces an aura of musical exploration, going from diva to seductress to rock star and everything in between. Her beautiful voice is a solid foundation to their work, giving them the versatility to pursue any mood they fancy.
In the end, the divergence of styles probably lessens the impact of "The Way We Are" as a whole. There are a few too many ideas present and the album is at least three songs too long. Still, the production value is very good, and it's hard to imagine a big studio making these songs sound any more vibrant or more listenable. It's a sunny, memorable pop outing that showcases an up-and-coming band with some strong, original material.
