CD review: Trying to Never Catch Up, by What Made Milwaukee Famous
April 15, 2007 by Peter Schellhase
Trying to Never Catch Up
by What Made Milwaukee Famous
A friend lent me this CD and I was very impressed.
The first track, “idecide,” presents all of the most distinct elements of their style, opening with Muse-like synth arpeggios and alternating a stripped-down club sound on the verses with atmospheric synthesizers which lend an epic touch to the chorus. Other songs alternate between simple, folky melodies (”hopelist”), jaunty swinging tunes (”sweet lady”), and straight-up rock (”hellodrama” and “curtains”). My favorite, “mercy, me,” fuses electronic leads with smoky alternative guitars and soaring vocals.
Musically, What Made Milwaukee Famous are in the American rock tradition, but they steer clear of punk and hard rock influences. The observant listener may hear traces of the Beatles, U2, and folk. Instrumentation is a good mix of electronic sounds, guitars, and intense vocals. Music relies on plaintive melodies and simple instrumental hooks. Harmonically diverse, with simple but appropriate, pleasing song structure. You can listen to the whole album streaming online at http://www.barsuk.com/bands/whatmademilwaukeefamous
