The Working Title Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Since the Working Title's brief major-label sojourn with Universal, which saw the album About-Face released on the Cause for Alarm imprint in 2006, the band has been reduced essentially to a solo project for singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist Joel Hamilton, who is joined by his producer, Jake Sinclair, on bass and Joe Morin on drums for the act's first full-length recording since About-Face, Bone Island. Hamilton has one of those whiny, nasal tenors (think Loudon Wainwright III, Perry Farrell, Adam Duritz) that he uses to put across introspective lyrics full of dissatisfaction and a sense of romantic betrayal. The narrator of the songs, usually lying in bed in a daze, worries he's become jaded due to a world of violence, adulterous lovers, and dishonesty. That's what one gets from reading the hand-printed lyric sheet set among Zachary Johnson's Ralph Steadman-like artwork in the CD booklet. On the disc, Hamilton's unhappiness, while still apparent, is set in dense pop/rock arrangements, the penetrating quality of his voice ameliorated by the echoey sheen in which Sinclair envelopes the album's sound. Morin, Hamilton writes in the annotations, "played the drums like crazy," and that's especially true in "Wolf," which has an instrumental track consisting almost entirely of percussion, and "Listen, Read, Decide," on which the drums rampage, dominating the song. If Morin isn't an official member of the Working Title, he deserves to be. Elsewhere, Hamilton calms down enough to duet with Stephanie Underhill on "Arms and Thighs," in which they are accompanied by Josh Koler's pedal steel, while "Someone Else," with its strummed acoustic guitar, has a folkish feel. But no matter the accompaniment, the singer seems desperate and alone, seemingly with only his attractive music to console him. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Working Title essentially craft guitar-driven modern rock akin to a secular Switchfoot or a much less grandiose U2. But there is something much more understated and comforting in the band's approach that brings an extremely light and welcoming aura to About-Face, their debut for the Universal imprint Cause for Alarm. Immediately engaging listeners at the hypnotic title track (really just the intro), the guys don't try to hit listeners over the head with bursting guitars and explosive rock dramatics. Instead, they're content to let their passionate musings strike unassumingly on late-night drives or simply while lying exposed on one's bed with the album on repeat in the background. Lead singer Joel Hamilton steers with an earthy and sensual voice that brings a vulnerable passion to the table, as various instrumental textures combine cohesively along the way. Guitars may ultimately abound, but they never boast a hard edge; they're just the backbone on which everything is based. About-Face is soft, clean, and gentle in a way that complements the band's strengths -- sweetly layered vocals, seamless arrangements, and emotive lyrics. Love, loss, and everything in between is touched on without crossing (or even really approaching) the bridge into whiny emo. Hamilton's expressive voice (at times evocative of John Mayer) can simply make a heart break ("Something She Said") just as easily as it can convey his own about to burst from aching ("Weigh Me Down"). "This Is Not Glorious" combines piano and drum programming with wonderful results, whereas "The Crash" lets shimmering guitars take over for a restless song of anxious love. About-Face is a charming ride through the world of the Working Title, and it suggests a bright future for the band. They do nothing more than absolutely captivate the whole way through, proving that getting in one's face isn't always necessary for catching one's attention. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
