Empty Orchestra-Here Lies
Thinker Thought
August 14, 2007

Overall, this is a pretty sad album. Listening to sad music probably isn't the best thing for me to do, as it kills what little motivation I have, but its so damn good, honest and heartfelt that its hard not to listen to, especially a band like Empty Orchestra. On the bright side, they do have a good amount of rocking numbers that keep the energy level high. Empty Orchestra sound like a combination of Lucero, Bruce Springstein, Johnny Cash, Drag the River and Tom Petty, mixing country, folk, hard rock and punk rock. They put all of those influences to good use, creating a strongly written and very honest and sincere album.

This is an album that you could get lost driving to; a time when you're 1/3 paying attention to the road, 1/3 listening to the album and 1/3 getting lost in your own head. Its good music to just drown the rest of the world out and spend some time getting to know the inside of your head. There are some killer licks that are best when repeated, as its something that you want to hear again and again, and the vocals of kingpin Stephen Wisniewsk are the centerpiece of this thoughtful, intricate album.

Written by: RF

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