Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Review of "My Scarlet Sins" by Across the Street

  
     I want to preface this review by saying this music was all new to me and I really enjoyed it.  Considering it was a collaboration from multiple musicians that don't make up an entire band, it was especially impressive.

     "Today" is a somber ballad introduced by an emotional mix of acoustic guitar and piano followed by lyrics to follow suit, " Looking in the mirror, the reflection remains the same, but a stranger looks at me."  It tells the story of a mother marrying a much older man entirely too soon, and her son's struggle with it.

     "Take a good look at what you've done, this is your one and only son" is a key line in "Unforgiven".  Another acoustic ballad, referencing a mother who arranged to be unavailable for her son's wedding ceremony after finding out a civil union had already been performed, and the pain it caused the groom.

     I caught hints of Queensryche and Pearl Jam, with a whisper of Armored Saint in "Doubting Myself (Again)".  This track about someone questioning the basis on which decisions were made, teases as though it will be a ballad, then picks up and cranks!  "Make Believe" is a rough cut of a poem the singer's father wrote about choices we make, put into lyrical form.

     "What it Takes" pulls no punches right out of the gate, instantly reminding me of Alice in Chains.  Lyrics such as, " Try and tell me I'm wrong, cause you're not that strong, you can't just look me in the eyes and say...you're not that brave, when will you ever learn to see, you just don't have what it takes," speak of religious intolerance.

     You can check out all this music from Across the Street on ReverbNation:

http://www.reverbnation.com/acrossthestreet