Review Summary:
Aranda is comprised of Dameon Aranda, Gabe Aranda, and is self-described "like combining Woodstock with hearing the blast of an atom bomb." Their stage presence was nothing short, but how does the album stack up?
Aranda is comprised of Dameon Aranda, Gabe Aranda, and is self-described "like combining Woodstock with hearing the blast of an atom bomb." Their stage presence was nothing short, but how does the album stack up?
Aranda is a post-grunge duo from Oklahoma City in a genre that normally puts out sub par music, but where other bands fail Aranda has picked up the pieces and put together a solid album. Their music has been featured as the cover song for the WWE's Great American Bash, and has also been ripped for Kelly Clarkson's album (what a shame).
Musically, this album delivers. With Aranda, no more are the boring verses and repetitive choruses found in other post grunge music like Creed, and 3 Doors Down. Aranda delivers great grooves and really strong guitar solos. "Whyyawannabringmedown" is upbeat and catchy enough to make you want to stand up and dance. Dameon Aranda does not hold back on his guitar riffs, and has great solos on every track with "Punish Me" and "It Ain't Easy" really sticking out. The guitar presses on with relentless intensity and energy throughout. The vocals are just as fantastic on this album, and you really get a great sense that these brothers have incredible musical ability. Gabe wails along with the guitar; the vocal range throughout the album is impressive to say the least. What I enjoy most about the album is the raw emotion in these tracks. Even on "Testify", where the band for the first time on the album slows the tempo, the vocals are fantastic. The best way to describe his delivery on this track is as a church pastor singing over the female choir in the background; it is really worth the listen. Lastly, Aranda could not have picked a better ending track than "Gravity". At the end, the guitar is soloing, and Gabe is squealing at the top of his range, and then the song cuts to silence. It is really an appropriate ending to this album.
Now as with any band's first LP, this album has a few kinks to work out. First, the lyrics on the album aren't anything to write home about. The biggest complaint lyric wise, is that most of the songs on the album have to with, you guessed it, women. On the flipside, there are some songs where the lyrics really do have a lot of meaning and it is rather impressive that they managed to write lyrics about women and put them to such energetic tracks that they have on the album. Secondly, the transitions seem to be just thrown together. Between songs, there are noises like needles scratching, olds radio stations changing, etc. which just seemed to be an odd way to connect the songs. Finally, some of the songs sounded a little too much the same for me, not a bad thing, but just an observation.
Aranda really kicked their career off to a good start, and though the album is not perfect, it sure provides a strong foothold for their future. "Aranda" is an album where you can just pick tracks straight from the album in any order and you will get the same feeling as if you listened to it straight through. The strong musicianship really outweighs the strange transitions, and in the end, I really enjoyed the album.
Standout Tracks:
Punish Me
It Ain't Easy
Whyyawannabringmedown
Still in the Dark
Testify
Gravity
