The Following are reveiws of WISING WELL by The SUBLIMINALS

 

The Subliminals are a band from the Midwest who, like their name implies, permeate your unconscious and create an intangible yet enticing aural mode. They accomplish this in an R.E.M.-like way; in fact, the comparisons to Michael Stipe and co. don't stop here. Lead singer/songwriter Tom Hepburn's vocals and writing style evoke mid-80's R.E.M. (had Mike Mills rather that Stipe sung lead), and while Hepburn's writing doesn't quite have the range of Stipe's, his voice is a good deal richer than Mills'. On both ballad and up-tempo tunes, The Subliminals deftly convey emotion, spiking their guitar-laden music with tight, silky harmonies and choruses so catchy that you'll find yourself nodding more often than a bobbing head doll. Every one of the 12 songs on Wishing Well are excellent, and the best deserve classic status, like the sweet "Wishing Well"; the ripping "Growin Up Too Fast"; the warm, jangly "Mable"; the angry "Paper Dolls"; the ultra moody "King Without A Crown" and the lullaby "Little One" on which a father lovingly gives advice to his son. There are a lot bands which, although quite talented, are forever caught in the web of obscurity. Let's hope The Subliminals attract the ear of a prescient major label, because they deserve to overcome.

David Bash
LA's Entertainment Today

 

Chicago rules!!! No doubt about it. There's some great power pop being made in "the windy city." The Subliminals benefit on this effort from the helping production hand of Jeff Murphy of The Shoes. Another great asset is Tom Hepburn, a fine vocalist and an extraordinary guitar player. Tom also wrote all 12 songs. There's some great Beatle-esque harmonies, jangly Byrdsy guitar and terrific power chording thoughout. The band sometimes sounds like REM, which is an achievement in itself. The title track is the kind of song major labels die for. The vocal arrangements are genuinely stunning, especially on tracks like "Breaking Out". The band is equally amazing on ballads and rockers. "King Without A Crown" gets my vote for best song here --- a gentle power ballad that would have fit well on The Posies "Dear 23" and the equal, harmony-wise, to anything by The Hollies. Mature lyrics, complex arrangements and some truly great musicianship make this a band to keep an eye on and album to grab a hold of.

Don Krider
Power Pop News

 

Consider The Subliminals to be the latest installment in the city of Chicago's rich pop heritage. Benefiting from some great songwriting, solid playing, and the production of Shoes' Jeff Murphy, The Subliminals can be considered as students of the Tommy Keene approach to pop - endeavor to make every track an anthem. The Subliminals, like Keene, accomplish this through both sheer power and by their genuine approach. It's hard not to believe in every note played and every word sung. Although a harder pop sound is usually favored, The Subliminals have no desire to abandon a more delicate approach. It's this that makes Wishing Well such a fine accomplishment. The opening Wishing Well gives some insight into the pop smarts at work here. A very pretty melody on the verses sharply contrasts with a more dire sound on the chorus to great effect, coming across as a combining of two separate tracks greater than the sum of their parts. Breaking Out is equally compelling in it's arrangement. Here, the swirling guitars have a faint acoustic accompaniment and a reverb-heavy vocal that make for a great dream-like quality. Then we have King Without A Crown, which has a hard electric sound buried behind a somber, but lovely, acoustic melody. Imagination gives the vocal arrangement it's turn in the spotlight. The harmonies are great on this acoustic track. Mabel continues in pure pop territory and This Time is classic power pop all the way, with a really tuneful yet biting guitar part. On the more aggressive side, Paper Dolls works as a great hard rock tune along with Hatred, which features some fine vocal arranging on the chorus. Whether choosing to tear speakers apart as on Growin' Up Too Fast or to showcase a more delicate side as on the lovely Little One, The Subliminals let their songs speak for themselves. Fortunately, they say plenty of good things.

Claudio Sossi
Shake It Up

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