Seven Mary Three Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Long out of the spotlight and too square to be considered for "That's the '90s!" nostalgia fests, Seven Mary Three keep rolling along, turning out albums every few years, eventually winding their way to their sixth album, 2008's Day & Nightdriving. Those who haven't paid attention since "Cumbersome" may be surprised to find that the group no longer sounds like Pearl Jam (of course, Pearl Jam doesn't quite sound like that anymore, either) -- when the volume ratchets up, there is still a bit of a groaning lurch to their rock, but this is a warmer, mellower band, one that wears its experience well. Day & Nightdriving is a burnished collection of country-rock stripped of alt-Americana pretensions and rounded out by introspective rockers that belie the group's age. Seven Mary Three are older in the best sense: they have learned songcraft and there's a lived-in soulfulness to their performances, two crucial elements missing in their overly earnest early records. This is an emotional progression married to a gradual musical maturation; Seven Mary Three are still totally, completely children of the '90s. They still specialize in classic rock moves tempered by gliding open chords pulled from '80s college rock, but they don't feel stuck in the past; they feel like they're steadily working at developing their music. This can occasionally lend their music a bit of a workmanlike feel -- there's a doggedness that keeps this earthbound at times -- but Day & Nightdriving is evidence that Seven Mary Three are slowly, surely getting better as they're getting older. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Dis/Location'
Release Date 5/11/2004
Tracks 12
Label RT. / Utr Music
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What The Critics Say
The grunge movement of the early '90s certainly spawned its fair share of imitators, as evidenced by the likes of Bush, Candlebox, Days of the New, and Sugartooth. The majority of these bands only managed to last for a handful of albums however, but Seven Mary Three have stuck around the longest -- having released albums on a somewhat regular basis since their 1995 debut, American Standard. 2004 saw the release of their fifth album overall, Dis/Location, and while it seemed like the rest of the world was focusing on emo and new wave revival bands, Seven Mary Three was still emulating the sounds of their heroes from a bygone Seattle era. Singer Jason Ross' voice still recalls Eddie Vedder, and the music has MTV Buzz Bin written all over it -- if it was 1992. Still, fans of the group's earlier works will be pleased to learn that the group continues to stick to preferred sound (something not a lot of the aforementioned bands did). The song remains largely the same on such tracks as "Settle Up" and "Oceans of Envy," where big grungey riffs do battle with Ross" heart on his sleeve lyrics. Seven Mary Three's sound and approach on Dis/Location would sound right at home between such early 21st century grunge revivalists as Puddle of Mudd and Staind. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'The Economy of Sound'
Release Date 6/5/2001
Tracks 12
Label Hollywood
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Six years after their clichéd breakout single, "Cumbersome," Seven Mary Three has finally resolved their internal battle between being a guts and sweat rock band or remaining grunge holdovers struggling to stay relevant. The Economy of Sound shows Jason Ross' writing at peak form, and new guitarist Thomas Juliano kicks the group's sound wide open. Going back further than Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to grab from Replacements, Smithereens, and even the Attractions, the group came up with a brighter sounding, much broader-based rock sound than on any of their previous albums. The group spins focused hooks in all the right places, as on the catchy lead single, "Wait," but lets everything hang out on the punkish attitude of "Breakdown" and "First Time Believers." Ross does the mid-tempo sensitive-guy rock thing rather well on the Stonesy "Man in Control?" and the richly developed, highly personal "Tug." The angry grunge and faux-psychadelic experiments of the past now out of the way, Seven Mary Three smartly realizes they are best at being a mid-level rock band, and that's not really a bad place to be. ~ John Duffy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With their major-label debut, Seven Mary Three rode the Pearl Jam bandwagon to commercial success with a combination of crunchy guitars and angst-filled lyrics; the follow-up, 1997's Rock Crown, was more introspective and stripped-down, almost turning 1995's American Standard into "Americana Standard." It stiffed. So, for Orange Ave., they take chunks of both predecessors and come up with a scattered work, one that's not quite sure if it wants to be another post-grunge dip in the radio well or a soul-searching, acoustic-guitar-strumming personal statement. If it was up to Jason Ross, it would probably be the latter. His musically intimate songs (like the radio hit "Over Your Shoulder") are more focused, thoughtful and tuneful; the big rock numbers, however, are as awful as anything that's come from grunge's floodgates opening. This album reflects the sound of a band at the crossroads. ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Seven Mary Three isn't much more than a standard bar band, but the group tears through American Standard with enough energy to convince listeners it's something more. Beneath that energy and their crushing, grungy riffs, the bandmembers display some promising songwriting skills, highlighted by the single "Cumbersome." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
