COBOL
"Line0001" CDR
Magical
Princess Records
Genres: electronic pop, pop, singer / songwriter
band
website
Sep 22 - 28 2003 |
COBOL mastermind George Edward Green III creates this brand of
home-produced, electronic-reliant pop that essentially lays half-said/half-sang
vocals over an electro backdrop. While Green has some really
good ideas and does show a strong melodic understanding, lots of his second
album, Line0001, sounds thrown-together and amateurish.
A large part of the problem with this disc lies in the disjunction between
the vocals and the electronics. The electro rhythms are often completely
off (this is especially notable on the first two tracks) and the vocals are at
a poor volume with the other components of Green's songs - usually too
loud. Not only that, but Green's vocals are frequently either
monotonous or bored and la-la ("Come What Will").
However, there is a good side to this problematic album. Opener
"Do I have your attention yet?," despite its rhythmic and production
problems, is undoubtedly a strong tune melodically - its dark, noir-esque
nature assures this - and typical COBOL number "Taligent" is
particularly spirited and infectious. "Pretty Little Thing Like
You," meanwhile, boasts an interesting atmosphere and some very solid
loops, but suffers from vocals that don't blend with the electronic
accompaniment.
All in all, this is an album with a number of problems; it shows off good ideas
but is held back by amateur techniques and major production faults. Okay
for a personal project, Line0001 is destined to suffer from limited
public appeal.
68%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by COBOL, released
2002] |