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FIGHTING
GRAVITY
"Blue Sky &
Black"
Independent
FIGHTING
GRAVITY'S
journey so
far
qualifies as
both long
(seven
studio
albums) and
somewhat
strange (ska
sounds
giving way
to sweeping
hard-rock
anthems
instead of
jam-band
antics). All
the while,
the
Richmond-bred
quintet has
maintained a
sizable East
Coast
concert
following,
thanks in
large part
to constant
touring and
the solid
and stirring
presence of
lead singer
Schiavone
McGee.
"Blue Sky
& Black,"
the group's
first studio
album in
four years,
certainly
won't
handcuff
McGee
onstage. Its
11 songs
consistently
reveal his
vocal
strengths
against a
series of
vibrant
backdrops
that make
colorful use
of guitars
that
incorporate
Edge-y
atmospherics,
Jeff
Beck-like
squalls and
some
acoustic
brush
strokes.
The
rhythm
section
packs a
wallop when
it counts,
and even
some of the
album's
head-scratching
lyrics can't
obscure
McGee's
soulfulness
for very
long. Still,
the cuts
that stand
out tend to
be the most
plain-spoken
and
passionate
ones, with
"Lost Our
Way," "St.
Louis" and
"Fooled
Again"
topping the
list. All
the tunes
were
composed by
the band,
and all but
a few sound
as if they
were
designed to
be concert
staples. Or
at least
that's the
impression
left by
McGee, when
he gets hold
of a worthy
lyric or a
soaring
chorus, and
producer Jim
Ebert, who
has worked
with the
likes of
Marvelous 3,
Meredith
Brooks and
Everything.
In concert,
little is
likely to
get lost in
translation.
-- Mike
Joyce
The
Washington
Post
Weekend
Edition
December 15,
2006 |
