Sevenout 'Back From Reality'

Orbital Records

Grade: B-


Formed in 1998, Sevenout hail from Detroit, Mich. During 2002, they began playing at clubs in the Midwest to support their debut album, "Back from Reality." Shane McGregor, the band's founder, songwriter and lead vocalist, draws inspiration from The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Carlos Santana.

This band has a classic rock flair, and its Beatles and Stones influences are evident. They remind me of what Boston (the band, not the city) has been like in recent years with some Tom Petty mixed in. I wonder, in an age in which punk and harder rock has become the mainstream, how well they will fit into today's music scene.

The album itself is OK to listen to. It's nothing too complicated or special, but the songs are entertaining. The vocals are all right (the vocalist does have a cool accent), and the bass/rhythm section seems to be the band's strong point. The lyrics are typical of a slower rock band - they seem to fit well with the songs but are not anything spectacular. Most of the tracks are slow or only semi-upbeat, so the album seems to drag at times.

I liked the first track, "Love Thang," the best, due to the guitar work. Unfortunately, many of the songs seemed to blend together. "Farewell My Friend" was also pretty good and had a nice rhythm to it. The last track, "Stay," is also decent and has a good balance between guitar and percussion.

In general, I fail to see the uniqueness of this group. They sound like so many other bands that I have listened to, and none of the songs stick out as especially wonderful. The music, however is not "bad." In fact, I did enjoy the music on the disc. I just doubt that I will listen to it very often.