Acetate
This Band Makes Me Feel
(Sanctuary)
First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2005, Volume 12, #3
Written by John Metzger
Rock ’n‘ roll history is littered with the discarded remnants of side
projects, and not surprisingly, a majority of them are showcases for material
that was deemed too mediocre for the participants’ primary outfits. Yet,
sometimes there is an added benefit that comes into play from such excursions.
That is: on occasion, the diversion serves to awaken the dormant passion that
lies within an artist thereby sparking a renewed interest in the process of
creating music. Such seems to be the case with Acetate, a collaboration among
bass player Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), guitarist Kevin Sweeney (Hayride),
and percussionist Ben Mize (formerly of the Counting Crows). Granted, none of
the 12 tracks on the group’s debut This Band Makes Me Feel are
startlingly unique, and for the most part, the ensemble combines infectious pop
melodies, tight-knit harmonies, and crunchy, ’70s-era, stadium rock in a manner
that recalls Cheap Trick, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, ZZ Top, and
strangely enough, Phish. What makes the collection work, then, is the trio’s
exuberantly playful delivery. In short, Schools and Mize sound as if they are
having more fun together than either has experienced in recent years with his
day job, and while Acetate’s songs unquestionably are rather innocuous, they
also are destined to become a guilty pleasure for many.
This Band Makes Me Feel is available
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box