Left Side Brain歌手简介:
by Stewart Mason
Four years and one failed major-label deal after their debut, Fiction Plane finally return with their second album. While
Everything Will Never Be OK
was something of a stiff upon its release, the subsequent success of mope-rockers like
Snow Patrol
and the return of singer/songwriter
Joe Sumner
's obvious heroes
Smashing Pumpkins
to active duty means that Left Side of the Brain is being released into a much more amenable musical moment. (And if nothing else, opening for the giant reunion tour of Dad's band
the Police
in the summer of 2007 can't hurt.) The only question is whether
Sumner
is ready for the spotlight, and the answer is: maybe, but it would be nice if he found a good lyricist first. Songs like the bouncy first single "Two Sisters" (not
the Kinks
favorite) and the epic,
U2
-influenced "Anyone" are potential radio hits and
Paul Corkett
's glossy but small scale production is a better fit than the anonymous big rock sound
David Kahne
brought to the debut. But on seemingly every song,
Sumner
lets loose with a clunker of a lyric that's especially noticeable given how high and centered his voice is in the mix. (And the answer is yeah, he kinda does sound like his Dad.) The worst by a landslide is the no doubt earnest but somewhat insufficient chorus to the protest song "Death Machine": "F*** you and your death machine/I ain't gonna fight no more." All righty then. Clearly, the ability to ignore the lyrics in favor of the songs' anodyne tunefulness is a big help. Fiction Plane will never come close to being
the Police
,
U2
or even
Smashing Pumpkins
, but there is every possibility that they could possibly become the next
Travis
.