As a band that wears its influences on its sonic sleeve,
LA-based quartet Cerulean faces a fateful question: where exactly
is the borderline between homage — musical emulation — and
fromage — plain old cheese?
The
Fractions EP — Cerulean’s latest production after two
previous indie LPs — feature big-as-the-sky, echo-laden guitars
repeating urgent figures over throbbing basslines and crashing
drums, with dramatic vocals coming over the top. If you loved
Boy or
The Unforgettable Fire, you’ll recognize the sound from the
opening notes of kickoff track “Here Is Hoping.” Even the spacious
production is a dead ringer for mid-’80s U2.
Alright, there is one X factor. Yes, guitarist Noel Kelly,
bassist Jamie Carroll and drummer Dave Cerwonka often sound like a
really talented U2 tribute band, but lead voice Rick Bolander does
not sound much like Bono. No, instead, he is a dead ringer vocally
for Tears For Fears frontman Roland Orzabal. (It’s almost like
somebody hit the wrong button on my local alt-rock station’s
“Eighties At Eight” show and played “Bad” and “Shout” at the same
time….!)
The aforementioned “Here Is Hoping” and this five-song EP’s
closer “Flames And Semaphores” are the strongest tracks on this
brief disc, with great energy and solid dynamics. The other three
(“Like Fading Stars,” “Stop Running,” “Waving In Circles”) didn’t
make as much of an impression on me, despite occasional strong
moments.
In trying to diagnose the problem, I came to a couple of
conclusions. One is that, while the lyrics have a kind of free-form
sound-painting appeal, they don’t really connect. They just aren’t
very specific or evocative, and therefore didn’t lead my
imagination anywhere in particular. That, in turn, tends to
undermine the effect of the music. U2’s big sound achieves a kind
of majesty because Bono’s lyrics are typically full of meaning and
resonance and urgency. Lacking that emotional core, Cerulean’s
vibrant, artfully played music can at times sound overcooked.
That said, there is a lot to enjoy here — Cerulean is obviously
a talented bunch, and they’ve nailed a familiar, dynamic sound that
I and many other rock fans enjoy a lot. I just think they’d be wise
to work on developing the same level of engagement and emotional
intensity in the lyrics that they’ve achieved in their music. Of
course, as always, your mileage may vary — if you just can’t get
enough ’80s-style grab-you-by-the-lapels-and-shake Brit-rock,
Cerulean may well sound like the second coming to you. You say
tomato and I say cheese soufflé… or something like
that.
