Chamberlain Albums (3)
'The Moon My Saddle'
Release Date 11/10/1998
Tracks 11
Label Doghouse
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Chamberlain's third release on the indie label Dog House is fine, prosaic, slightly rough road rock that takes itself pretty seriously à la Counting Crows. Frankly, though, Chamberlain sounds more intelligent than half the talkative alt bands around. Sturdy guitar licks from Jonathan Cohen and firm keyboard instrumentation by Adam Rubenstein and Mark Maher prevent too much emoting from vocalist Charles "Wigg" Walker. Not that emotion is bad. The original lyrics are exceptionally well-written and there are a lot (perhaps too many) of them, twisting in Möbius turns of phrase, as in David Moore and Rubenstein's "Until the Day Burns Down": "...Who'd have thought, girl/Late last April/That we'd still be the same?" The sweet, minimal "Try for Thunder" has an understated, electric effect, and "Crush You" should effectively keep young men from allowing their girls to go to New Orleans now and forever. These guys have a melodic, Sunny Day Real Estate appeal -- good songs, well-played by nice people, and rockin'. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.] ~ Becky Byrkit, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Very much a transitional work from a band that helped pioneer the Midwestern emo craze, Chamberlain's Fate's Got a Driver delivers more emotion in its 30 minutes than most bands do over the course of a career. The record is thought provoking and musically adventurous, a rare feat for a band whose members were barely past twenty when it was recorded. With nods to the Everyman side of Sunny Day Real Estate and the insistent melodicism of Fugazi, Fate's Got a Driver consistently impresses. It's all the product of lead guitarist Adam Rubenstein's thick, Fugazi-style progressions and David Moore's highly poetic lyrics. Rubenstein leads the way on standout tracks like the lockstepping "Yellow Like Gold," the instantly thumping "Her Side of Sundown" and the gorgeous, acoustic "The Simple Life," connecting the line between the Police's proto-pop-punk and the D.C. hardcore scene. Although he has to strain his voice at times to keep up with the constantly moving melodies, Moore proves to be well-versed in both Dylan Thomas and Bob Dylan, alternating between oblique metaphors ("chance is in her glass house, I know/But I know I'm throwing stones," he proudly proclaims in "Her Side of Sundown") and energetic summations of what may lie ahead ("Cause there's a world that I've gotta see/And it quietly waits for me," later in the same song). The rhythm section provides the cathartic underpinning so crucial to music of this nature. Especially on the incendiary "Drums and Shotguns," drummer Charles "Wigg" Walker transcends standard-issue hardcore stick work with perfectly placed fills and seamless dynamic shifts. An amazing achievement by such a relatively young band. [The CD was also released with bonus tracks.] ~ Jonathan Cohen, All Music Guide
