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.

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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