Label: unsigned

Producer: Todd Lane Sams and Voytek Kochanek

Release Date: 2003

Ahhhhh... Given! In one sentence 'From the wreckage that was' is an incredible album, completely and utterly brilliant alternative, progressive, front-line contemporary rock that has been meticulousy written, composed, performed, and produced with passion by consummate artists and sound connoisseurs. Now.. if you've got any sense... get out there today and buy this album! Don't give me that 'but I haven't even heard it' routine... there's things in life you could do and there's things you should do and owning Given's 'From the wreckage that was' is definately something you MUST do! But please.. allow me to elucidate..

Given have stated recently that 'Our songs are about life, what it does to you, and what you can do with it'. I think that pretty much sums up Given's songwriting technique and their very broad sense of what it is that their audience wants to hear. The thing is, as individual musicians, they truly excel. Collectively, Given provide us with a whole range of influences and horizons that we can not only relate to, but that we can be truly moved and inspired by.

Once the CD player button is pressed, we are welcomed to Given's world with Looking Down - one of the most intense and intelligent contemporary rock songs I have heard in years. I love the assemblage of drums, acoustic and electric guitars that provide an airstrip for the superb vocals. Trickles of grungisms appear here and there like a bridge to emphasize the power of the lyrics and oh dear me... these are very fine lyrics indeed 'Some say they believe in nothing, to me that seems so sad, so i'll go on believing, because it's all I ever had'. Here we have the 'common sense' sentiment to combat the 'none sense' sentiments that we come across everyday. Given are very good at this... question/response technique in their songwriting and when combined with the remarkably original arrangements, you have every reason on earth to accept that this band are light years apart from many of their contemporaries.

Lost features some relatively complex and mentally stimulating lyrical and musical themes.. the kind that often earns the artists the occasional Album of the year Award and prestigious awards events. One of the things to watch out for in this song is the soul impacting bass and drum work provided by Darren Hobbs and Jeremy Fox.. talk about high energy and accuracy! Hovering over the rhythm section like an unavoidably awe inspiring eclipse are some of the finest vocal and guitar treatments you could possibly imagine. What a joy this track must have been to both engineer and produce!

Fate meanwhile, take us to the twilight realm of perfect harmonies and electrifyingly addictive acoustic guitar passages that make you wish you'd learned to play just as well. I'll openly admit that this is the song that made me want to go out and buy another guitar if only to stand in front of the mirror to pretend I was Casey Hutchins for an hour or two (well I ended up a reasonable bass player after pretending I was Paul McCartney in front of a mirror!). At around the 3.30 mark, the song branches off into a lovely classic rock riff that accompanies some steady rock rhythms on bass and drums before meandering into a delightfully vibrant guitar solo played with skill and insight to the genre.

Clay opens with some nice chorus guitar and an almost casual rhythmic pace for a casually and brilliantly sung introspective song. Lyrically, the song is as powerfully thought provoking as it is satisfying to the ears. All in all, the production on this track is a cut above the rest for the genre and bodes tremendously well for the skill and knowledge behind the mixing desk and mastering suite. Watch out for the superb guitar work around the 3.15 mark... it's the work of an immeasurably talented and superb guitarist! Resolution on the other hand is thematically, everything a grey cloudy day ever needed to be considered complete before the sunshine entered into the scene in the form of some beautifully played guitar. Far from being down and melancholic, the song as it's title suggests, is one of what one needs to do in order to move forward and as I said earlier, it's a theme that's so easy for the rest of us to relate to.

Eternal Lament is a return to the superb vocal harmonies and playing styles that seem to rest above this band like a precious and rarely encountered creative halo. Compared to many commercial bands that meander through similar genres and influences, Given stand like roses among many thorns and it all comes back to what I said earlier about your need to own a copy of this album. Elternal Lament strengthens and intensifies that sentiment tenfold and I can imagine the band leaving the studio when this track was completed without their feet touching the ground for months! No Words is the track that follows and it's a song of pure and outstanding resiliance in the face of antagonisms and animosity. I love the vocals, the lyrics, and the sweeping arrangement that adds power and depth to the emotions the song provokes. It's not easy for a composer to pull this kind of thing off but Given seem to be used to doing just that... and they do it so well!

Three Days Clean is, without doubt, an absolute must-have work of high-end creative expression delivered with skill and insight and a very good sense of professional musicianship. What an arrangement... lots of unpredictables spread evenly throughout the song make it a magnificent masterpiece. the acoustic inserts, bass playing, and percussion are so finely balanced that you can see your eyebrows raising beyond that point where they're supposed to stop! Of course, by the time you've recovered from your voyage-like listening experience, Prodigal Son arrives just in time to lead you in another direction entirely and you really don't want any choice in the matter. Again, Given assure us in both their musical proficiency and innovative expression that there are ways to make a cynical song work well and there are ways to make the song work even better... they've done just that with Prodigal Son and with seemingly relative ease.

My Cup tells us that 'Half empty, half full' is essentially the same thing. I love the way Casey Hutchins messes with his words to great effect and he's done a fine job in this very clever song. Interestingly, in much of the songwriting on this album.. none of the words appear to be blindly chosen... and that's exactly the same thing note for note that happens musically and perhaps one of the greatest attributes for this amazing band. Further evidence for this rare compositional approach appears in the form of Fall Away which has got to be one hell of a highlight when it's performed live. Keep your eye on the drums and meandering vocals... little blessings all the way from your headphones (or speakers) straight to your soul. Then there's the thrashed out guitar wanderings that keep your attention welded to tightly to the arrangement. Come to think of it... that's another thing Given do really well... even if your dying to leave the room to grab a drink or something... you just can't prize yourself away! now how many bands or artists do you know that can do that? Or, indeed... how many other bands are out there like Given?

I began this review seeking your assistance in letting go of some bucks to buy this album. If you haven't done so within the next 48 hours.. I'd say your condition was pretty hopeless without the intervention of a bloody good therapist!

 

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