Indigenous
Chasing the Sun

(Vanguard)

First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2006, Volume 13, #6

Written by John Metzger

As is evidenced by its relentless tour schedule, South Dakota’s Indigenous is a band that thrives in a concert setting. Not surprisingly, its studio efforts typically have failed to capture the energy of its live performances. With only a few exceptions, the group’s latest outing Chasing the Sun is no different. Though it begins promisingly enough with the driving, Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired blues-rock of Runaway, the album quickly loses steam as it sinks into a neutered rendition of what Indigenous is capable of delivering. Despite the Hendrix-ian guitar flourishes that underscore them, Come on Home and Fool Me Again merely are on par with the soul-pop offerings of Hootie & the Blowfish, while I’ll Be Waiting finds the ensemble attempting to tap into the same market that has fed Los Lonely Boys’ recent fortunes. In fact, it isn’t until the latter third of Chasing the Sun that the collective truly comes alive, but the guitar-blazing pyrotechnics that circulate through The Way You Shake, Out of Nowhere, and Leaving aren’t enough to salvage what otherwise is an endeavor that far too frequently waltzes between the mediocre and the bland. ½

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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 © 2006 The Music Box