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The Exies
A Modern Way of Living with the Truth
(Eleven Seven)
First Appeared in The Music Box, May 2007,
Volume 14, #5
Written by John Metzger
On its third effort Head for the Door, The Exies proved that it had
become well versed in the tenets of modern rock. The band subsequently was
rewarded with a pair of hit singles (Ugly and My Goddess) and a
series of high profile tours. Commercial success, however, doesn’t necessarily
bring critical acclaim, and the album largely was met with an apathetic response
from nearly everyone outside the genre’s scene. After leaving its record label
and making changes to both its personnel and its management, The Exies has
stated, for all intents and purposes, that it is hungry for more. The group’s
restlessness comes through, at least in part, on its latest endeavor A Modern
Way of Living with the Truth.
Considering that existential angst always has been central to The Exies’
formula, it isn’t a stretch for the group to have placed its own spin upon the
Talking Heads’ Once in a Lifetime. Tackled at a sluggish pace and
juxtaposing quiet verses with loudly churning choruses, the song, quite
effectively, is transformed into an emo anthem. It also draws attention to the
theme upon which the album is based. Indeed, nearly all of the set’s tracks
examine the effects of the corrosion that lies at the core of materialistic
societies. Much as its title suggests, A Modern Way of Living with the Truth
places a particular emphasis on the manner in which people shrug off personal
responsibility only to find discontented loneliness.
The problem, though, is that for a band that is intent upon shaking up the
status quo, The Exies disappointingly seems to be satisfied merely with
rummaging through the customary touchstones of modern rock. Sure, A Modern
Way of Living with the Truth begins with the weary, acoustic Leaving Song,
and it ends with Spectator at the Revolution, a folk tune that is
reminiscent of John Lennon’s protestations. There also is a hint of techno that
filters into the title track. For the most, part, however, the group hedged its
bets by choosing the safest routes to explore.
Without a doubt, there is some merit to the argument that The Exies is
attempting to cause a sea change by working within the system. Nevertheless, the
band’s bid to be recognized for its artistic expressions is undercut severely by
its approach. Although The Exies does, on occasion, concoct music that matches
the urgency of its message — the grinding guitars and propulsive drums of Lay
Your Money Down or the head-banging rush that powers A Fear of Being
Alone, for example — its hook-filled tunes, more often than not, aren’t
supported by its generically lackluster arrangements. In effect, the jaggedly
intense edges of its songs have been polished smooth, which, in turn, has left
the group’s delivery sounding utterly passionless. As it progresses, the album
inevitably becomes a blur of sameness and mediocrity. By the time that front man
Scott Stevens sings "it all seems the same/I need a change" on My Ordinary
World, one is left wishing that he would break out of his malaise and take
the risks that are necessary for making it happen. 
A Modern Way of Living with the Truth is available from
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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 © 2007 The Music Box
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