Verbena Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
After aping the Stones on their debut album, Souls for Sale, and crafting a poppier version of Nirvana's angst three years before the Vines did on Into the Pink, Verbena returns with La Musica Negra, an album that, theoretically, could be called an improvement over their other work because it isn't focused on painstakingly re-creating another band's sound. In practice, though, it's probably Verbena's weakest work yet, precisely because they don't have a template to go by. Charged-up rock songs like "Way Out West" and "It's Alright, It's Okay (Jesus Told Me So)" still have a bit of Cobain-esque raspiness fused with some currently popular blues and garage rock elements, but manage to sound big and obvious without becoming catchy or powerful. As with Into the Pink, La Musica Negra's pop songs and ballads show some promise; "Camellia" makes good use of Anne Marie Griffin's voice before it morphs from simple prettiness into an overblown, gospel-tinged jam, while the countrified "Ether" fares a little better since it's more restrained. The bouncy and buzzy "Me and Yr Sister", and despite the fact that it sounds like nothing else on the rest of the album, "Dirty Goodbyes" -- a slightly jazzy ballad based on piano, strings, and brushed drums -- works for the same reasons. From the over-produced sound to the frequent mentions of Jesus in the lyrics to the disjointed influences from which it draws, La Musica Negra fails not because Verbena doesn't try hard enough to make interesting rock music, but because they try too hard. This album might reflect some baby steps toward finding a sound of their own, but they've still got a long way to go. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Verbena's 1999 album Into the Pink completes the group's transition from a Memphis soul/indie pop hybrid into a straight-ahead rock outfit. Indeed, with Scott Bondy's sardonic drawl and buzzsaw guitars, and Les Nuby's insistent drums at the forefront, Verbena resembles a souped-up, glossed-over version of the 1990s' most revered rock band, Nirvana. Adding to the sense of deja vu is Dave Grohl's production work, which dips into the polish Butch Vig applied to Nevermind. Though bassist/vocalist Anne Marie Griffin's vocals sweeten "Prick the Sun" and "Baby Got Shot," and ballads like "Lovely Isn't Love" and "Big Skies, Black Rainbows" add some sonic diversity to the album, most of Into the Pink sounds like forgotten mid-'90s grunge. Despite their lofty aspirations and patronage, Verbena just aren't as interesting as that other power trio whose name ends with "-na." ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Fans of Sticky Fingers-era Stones, will get a rush off Scott Bondy's album-long homage to Richards, which culminates in the track "Me & Keith"giving you a sense of this band's self-conscious sense of humor. On "Hey, Come On," he offers that "this song goes out to no one but me/but I'll try just to sing a little harder." Like a less scruffy and more focused Royal Trux, these bluesy tunes appropriate Richard's cutting reverbed guitar sound, and the result is hotter than anything the Stones have done in twenty years. They even ante up their own heroin paean, "Junk for Fashion," which blurs the line between statement and ironic admission. The bonus on this already fascinating guitar album is Anne Marie Griffin, whose bluesy southern twang provides essential contrast to indie-guitar-band voice of Bondy-who sounds like in addition to Richards, he's accidentally channeled Thurston Moore's vocals. Producer Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev) gives the album a rich open sound that still showcases the band's hefty punch. While tracks like "Hey, Come On" (which sounds like the Byrds if they did new wave), and the slower, somber, Band-ish "The Song That Ended Your Career" offer momentary diversions, the meat of the album is in tracks like the throbbing "Hot Blood," the "Bitch"-flavored lust of "Shaped Like A Gun," and the album-ender, "Kiss Yourself," with it's rock'n'roll epithet, "let's just pretend that we're real." ~ Chris Parker, All Music Guide
