moe. - Sticks and Stones
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Free Music Notes for Sticks and Stones
Free Music Review: Worst moe. album to date
Hit: 3 Stars
I've been a fan of moe. for a number of years and enjoy everything they produce. With that said, I was largely disappointed by this album. There are a few catchy songs and the album is generally easy to listen to, however it lacks the energy, jams and quality of moe.'s previous albums (and live shows for that matter). In the nearly 6 months that I've owned 'Sticks and Stones', I have rarely found myself going back to it, which is unfortunate. I hope future albums can recapture the magic of albums like Dither & Wormwood. Free Music Review: Good Studio Session
Hit: 5 Stars
Moe is a great jam band...seeing them live is seeing them in their natural element. A lot of great jam bands have trouble making a studio album that holds up. This one does...I recommend it highly.Free Music Review: Not so Fast
Hit: 4 Stars
I have read some pretty harsh reviews about this record and I just do not agree. This is my first Moe album and I love it. I understand what it is like when your favorite band does not sound the same as their old stuff. I feel that way about the last two Drive by Trucker albums but that does not mean they are not good records. No the Moe lyrics don't overly inspire me but they are sufficient. Mostly Sticks and Stones is just a fun record to listen to. Free Music Review: Awful CD, Do Not Purchase
Hit: 1 Stars
What a crappy effort from a band I usually really like. Very boring without much emotion. I don't know if this album is supposed to grow on the listener, but it won't have a chance with me. Free Music Review: Another great rocker from moe.!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
First, let me address the "true fans"(you know who you are). If you don't like this album because it is a "Non-jamming" or "Rock album", then please stop going to shows and stop listening to a band that you know nothing about. moe. has always been and will always be a rock band with a knack of writing catchy songs first, and a "jam band" second. They are not "going commercial", "selling out", or doing any other such thing. Also, stop taking pot-shots at "new fans". You were once a new fan, and most of you were NOT "there since the beginning", so leave them be.
(REAL FANS accept good songs by the bands that they like and are not threatened by the "appearance" of commercial acceptance. Also, they embrace newcomers and ease their transition into the community.)
Now to address the album. moe. adds a sequel to last year's Conch, which showcased a mature, and much tighter, moe.. There's no doubt that moe. has always progressed from album to album, but this album actually sets the framework for what I can imagine will be epic jams.
Here's the Play by Play:
I love the melodic wordplay that bounces around the music in "Cathedral". A great way to start the album.
"Sticks & Stones" seems like a close cousin to The Conch's "Blue Jeans Pizza", just a little more laid back...
...whereas "Darkness" uses the Jim-on-vibes sound, with a bit of a sing-a-long 'la la la' part... (Brilliant!)
"Conviction" (?) ehhh, I could leave it...
"Z02" showcases the new-moe.-jam-sound(think "Crab Eyes"-esque)... (and more instantly likeable, though I'm not a huge fan of instrumentals normally*)
So, I'm listening and HOLY SH-T!!... One of the best songs ever, by any band (arguably). "Deep This Time" is a bluesy, Northern Rocker. Who wouldn't like this?
Alright, well there's no way they could... Nope, wrong, they did it again!!! "All Roads Lead to Home" is another classic.
"September"? Hmm... still growing on me. I think I like it.
"Queen of Everything" is actually unnecessarily hyped by too many people. It's okay, but not a standout by far. (SEE "Conviction")
"Raise a Glass" is the best way to end an album ever by anyone(arguably). It features Umphree's McGee on background vocals, and sounds like an old Irish drinking song. I can see this being sung as a second set ender or encore as a way to really bring the house down with the audience singing along with the band.
*Instrumentals are like having scripted jams or a jam-in-a-box with no way out of what's been laid. Also, in the case of other albums, they serve no purpose but to segue two different songs and are lost on the live experience.(Tell me when you've gone crazy to "Organs" or "Rumble Strip" live?) I appreciate the fact that the albums are tight, so that the concerts can be that much more loose. Scripted jams ruin the experience, so please stop calling for jams on albums!!! That's what the show is for. Save it for live! Give me the new verse in concert, throw in the cool jam then, and it doesn't matter where songs come out first, as long as the songs keep coming!