{"id":41789,"date":"2009-11-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/theory-of-tides\/"},"modified":"2009-11-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-11-20T00:00:00","slug":"theory-of-tides","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/theory-of-tides\/","title":{"rendered":"Theory Of Tides"},"content":{"rendered":"

The packaging is nice. The photography is nice. The music\u2026 not so much. That\u2019s the nicest way to say that Theory Of Tides (Mirana Comstock is credited with vocals, keyboards, percussion and Rick Comstock with guitar, bass, percussion) have assembled a nice package for garbage. To quote Bill Cosby, imagine your favorite meal served on a garbage can lid. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

I am not really sure where to begin with this release. I made it through all of these songs twice, although I admit I picked and skipped through some sections the second time through just because I wanted to get done. It was kind of like getting a colonoscopy — just do it and get it over with and hope that you never have to do it again. The main problem with these songs is that there is nothing to counterbalance the repetitive drum\/keyboard loops that are used. There are no guitar riffs that you can sink your teeth into and, frankly, melody is hard to find, too. This whole release gets repetitive after the first minute. Repetition can work in music — I\u2019m thinking of Death Cab for Cutie\u2019s \u201cI Will Possess Your Heart,\u201d which has a hypnotic bass groove to keep things interesting.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

However, the comparison stops there because Theory Of Tides does not offer compelling music. Sometimes the lyrics or even the delivery on a release can make up for the material\u2019s other weaknesses. Not so here; I can\u2019t even compliment the vocal delivery. The vocals emphasize what sounds like the wrong syllables and the phrasings sound, well, wrong. When Mirana trills on single syllable words, it\u2019s painful. This is immediately evident in the very first lyrics of opening cut \u201cUnsure\u201d as she sings: \u201cWhen did I begin resembling \/ Such a trembling \/ Leaf on this tree of life \/ Out a limb just waiting \/ For something \/ To blow me away from you.\u201d <\/o:p><\/p>\n

I was discouraged after the opening track, so I moved on to \u201cChemistry Of Tears\u201d and then \u201cThis Storm\u201d and then the insanely awkward \u201cKaraoke\u201d with the strange lyrics \u201cIt\u2019s all so karaoke \/ I don\u2019t know who\u2019s talking to me \/ Oh so karaoke \/ I don\u2019t know who you want to be.\u201d Karaoke is a noun being used as an adjective. I have no idea what Mirana is trying to tell me. It\u2019s like saying \u201cIt\u2019s all so paper clip\u201d; it doesn\u2019t make sense.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The next track is \u201cSoothes,\u201d which has \u201c(Dance Mix)\u201d after the title. I am not sure if that is supposed to excuse the way that the lyrics just don\u2019t match the droning music. The keyboard tone masks that there are multiple notes being played so it sounds like mush. Pop quiz: would you think the following lyrics are in a) an upbeat song or b) in a long, droning, depressing eight-minute-plus track? \u201cGot to party every night till dawn \/ I hardly ever sleep \/ Never alone \/ Buy lots of things \/ But nothing makes it home.\u201d If you chose b), you are correct, but you don\u2019t win anything but the knowledge that you should not purchase this album.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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