Regular Columnists

Artist: Band: Heiskell
Album: Soundtrack for an Aneurysm
Label: BMI
Website: http://heiskellmusic.com
Genre: Alternative Rock
CD Review: There aren’t a lot of CDs that have 10 great songs out of 12, but that’s not the biggest surprise of this artistic effort.  The breadth, scope and sheer pop sensibility of a highly personal vision would alarm and silence those who look for the same thing in Country and other vocalists.  Currently, there is no one filling a horrible void in new music in general; the void of making a statement without turning off a good portion of the audience.  Green Day was the last band to achieve such an honor.

So here comes Heiskell, a group headed by Jeff Heiskell, formerly of the Judybats, aching to break your heart, give you a laugh, prompt a thought-provoking conversation and introduce you to an unusual, interesting group of characters and concepts.  Ten years from now, the songs may still be relevant and instrumentally satisfying.

All the tracks have excellent arrangements, and the atmosphere on many is a major component of their enjoyment.  Oftentimes sounding like Roxy Music, they have a contemporary sound that keeps them from falling into a mere memory.

Lyrically, the romanticism and poetry that makes a song art is prevalent in most of their compositions.  “Like a Vampire”  is a good example.  “Drowning not waving, we break on the shore, return to the shallows, wanting it more; Fame and misfortune, their watery embrace, cling to each other, weary the face.”  This beginning took some real talent and some hard work.

Last surprise- the cover of “Trouble” by Lindsey Buckingham.  It’s better than the original, about as likely as Snoop Dog doing a Christian album.

Grade: A-