Label: unsigned

Producer: kenneth raftree

Release Date: 2006

* * * * *

Ken Raftree had a brilliant idea that turned into another brilliant idea that became the Raftree Band that is attracting alot of very very positive attention right now. One important reason and in fact the only really important reason for this rise in public acclaim is down to the fact that Ken knows a thing or two about how to write, compose and produce outstanding rock music with little tinges of pop and all manner of other enticements that makes your senses curl!

Raftree's debut release is their self-titled EP that features some 'dynamically' charged and uniquely blended power user rock songs. With all of this said... lets see what happens when you press the play button..

Salvation opens up this magnificent EP and introduces man woman and child to Raftree's world.. with some startlingly explosive vocals emphasizing and adding technicolor to the very clever lyrics and level of musicianship that makes musicians rather envious. Guitar work is phenomenally realized and the drum work... oh deary deary me... the drum work is basking in the same kind of excellence that gets drummers awards! It's a forceful song with elements of classic rock fused with everything including the kitchen sink under the guise of contemporary innovative rock! Brilliant song Ken... whatever way you look at it!

Eyes you hide wakes up the previously covered-in-cobwebs elements of your consciousness to the sound of a super band in their blaze of abundant glory. Imagine seeing this at a live indoor venue then imagine seeing this at a massive open air concert... two completely fantastic visualizations if ever there was one! Harmonies expel any sense of reason as they support the main vocal to the nth degree. The nice little acoustic and percussion interlude works very well indeed.. especially through headphones and the song builds up so well to it's climax that your left feeling robbed when the last note disappears! it's a bit like the feeling you'd get if you were traveling at 150mph on the highway only to find yourself suddenly ejected from your seat to watch the vehicle continue onwards as it gathers even more speed!

After all that... we get to Room and Raftree's anthemic blending of what's imaginative and what's innovative. There is so much in this song that I have to wonder what the engineer was faced with at the mixing desk as he tried to get everything separated into the stereo image that looks to me like a collage of unbelievable sound canvassing. What a brilliant piece of compositional and studio work this song really is! Again, the lyrics and vocals are meshed very finely together and the other thing that's certainly worth pointing out is that the drum and bass work is totally impossibly terrific!

Missing opens with the driving eye widening power rock chords and inquisitional drums that now typify the Raftree sound. Superb vocal work is really magnificently delivered and I'm tempted yet again to leg it down to the dealer to find a drug that's powerful enough to keep this drummer doing the same thing without feeling completely and utterly exhausted! Missing is a great rock track and Raftree are harbingers of great rock with as much innovation and forward thinking presence to last a lifetime!

I have had this argument so many times before where the need to bring back the charisma that went with 'frontmen' in the true classic rock band sense has never been so great. We lost something when bands became bands with equalized spotlights when they really did need to keep a guy acting like the squadron leader in a mighty wing formation... I think... and I say it again... I think that's what we may have here... Raftree is brilliant because Raftree produces brilliant rock music... end of story... for now!

CD Reviews

IOM Magazine

Related