Music Reviews

Sentiment sweeps away students

By Chris O'Connell

TSC Writer

Spring has bloomed throughout campus, and I've found the perfect CD to match it: Michael Darby and Smile Live and Unplugged at the University of Southern California. Michael Darby and Smile is composed of Michael Darby (vocals/guitar) and Ryan Addison Amen (piano), two under-thirty guys with a passion for music. They travel from college to college across the state bringing their acoustic sound and demo CD's with them, and I am lucky enough to hold a copy.

The twelve-track album keeps a simple sound with acoustic guitar and piano, perfectly scored with sweet and honest lyrics. The easy and melodic music leaves a bittersweet impression on the listener.

And the words in Darby's songs sing with an affectionate candor, an almost corny tone, which really improves the album. With a simple composition Michael Darby and Smile refresh me from the pretentiousness that many much more publicized bands have waddled in.

The entire album seems to be played intentionally and specifically for the listener, giving the impression of eavesdropping on a boyfriend playing to his girlfriend in an intimate moment. The realness of this album is something I've been looking for in music.

There are several great tracks, including their first single "Heidi." Other tracks such as "Thinking about You," "Life is Great," and "I Believe" call back to an almost adolescent sentiment of love and relationships. "Do You Miss Me When I'm Gone," my favorite song, describes Darby's estranged relationship with his father, a song adding depth to the album as a acoustic hodge podge of human relationships.

If you're feeling bittersweet or breaching turning points in your relationships or just want to hear about someone who is, take a listen to Michael Darby and Smile Live and Unplugged at the University of Southern California. Visit their website at www.michaeldarbysmusic.com to download the complete album. A

Soundtrack is web of disappointment

By Cheryl Noland

TSC Writer

Only one more day until Spider-Man leaps out of the comic books and onto the big screen. Too bad the highly anticipated movie doesn't come with a soundtrack of the same magnitude.

The 19-track compilation is a strange assortment of both new material � some specifically recorded for the movie soundtrack � as well as previously released contributions from an eclectic variety of artists including Alien Ant Farm, Macy Gray, and The Strokes.

For the album's first single, Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott, lead singers of the rock bands Nickelback and Saliva, collaborate on "Hero," an ode to the '80s "power ballad." Could someone please hand me my Aqua Net?

Speaking of hair bands, the inescapable boys of Aerosmith, who continue to revolutionize after over 20 years in the business, tackle the Spider-Man cartoon theme song from the '60s TV series. Their hard rock version, filled with endless electric guitar riffs, in combination with the song's cheesy lyrics (Spider-Man, Spider-Man / Does whatever a spider can) just doesn't work, no matter how talented they are.

For a more current sound, punk rockers Sum 41 offer the fast-paced track "What We're All About," milking the overdone rap/rock style once again. I can already hear the teenyboppers chanting this soon-to-be TRL favorite since it sounds exactly like the band's "Fat Lip" and even "In Too Deep" for that matter.

While some songs try to stay relevant, others are entirely out of place. For instance, The Hives' new wave/punk song "Hate To Say I Told You So" has nothing to do with Spider-Man. But I sure wish the alum had more tracks like this. C-