MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES

After being completely mesmerized by what I heard on the band's debut EP, I jumped straight into their first full length release without a single hesitation! This proved to be not as easy as I originally had intended it to be since Ideamen have brushed and polished their sound after their Progress and the band I heard on May You Live In Interesting Times took some time to get used to.

My initial spin felt very underwhelming since most of these tracks went by unnoticed and it took 4-5 spins before the material began to settle in. It didn't help that I read the negative AllMusic review of this release that passed it off as a mere clone of System Of A Down and Mike Patton (if this combination can actually be considered a clone). Fortunately, once I warmed up to the material there were many rewards to be experienced!

Unlike most albums, this one has most of it's treasures hidden in the middle of the album. The two opening tracks, Interesting Times and Emergency, do a fine job of getting me into the right mood but it's really not until the System Of A Down-inspired The Rest that we get our first truly magical composition! Sunshine is the most single-oriented track and reminds me a lot of those classic feel-good Indie rock songs that we've got so accustomed to over the years. Unlike most of those songs, this one still manages to outshine them in the instrumental and vocal departments, which is a huge plus in my book!

Horse's Head is probably this album's most brutal composition and it's a pure joy to both the mind and ears. After a minor intermission in the shape of Incident, we finally get to the three-track streak that I consider to be the pinnacle of the entire release. Collectibles sounds almost like a Metalesque Waltz and always manages to leave an idiotic grin on my face. Uneventful Day is a two minute tune that might be passed off as a joke tune but it's these moments that truly define Ideamen for me with their clear ability to produce quirky and intelligent music. This is finally where we get to the album's masterpiece, a little track called No Thought. This is not a composition that I need to describe, since it's an experience that has to be heard in order to be understood!

It's really hard to follow up this type of powerhouse music-making, which is why the band clearly begins to show signs of fatigue with the final three compositions. Paper Goose might be another quirky tune, but it sounds a bit too much like a been there done that type of affair for a band of such magnitude. Quares is a bit more interesting, but the 5+ minute track format hasn't exactly been working out for Ideamen up until now and this one manages to overstay it's welcome. That same argument can be attributed to the final track Your Signature Here; great stuff, but not as polished as the rest of the material.

I guess that my main complaint with May You Live In Interesting Times is that it's all over the place in the composition department, which could just as well be considered a compliment! If you enjoy eclectic music with a Metal edge and melodic vocals then definitely give this solid record a go!

***** star songs: The Rest (3:49) Sunshine (3:00) Horse's Head (3:47) Collectibles (3:18) Uneventful Day (2:00) No Thought (4:22)

**** star songs: Interesting Times (3:17) Emergency (4:18) Incident (4:40) Paper Goose (2:40) Quares (5:14) Your Signature Here (4:46)