Dear Barenaked Buddies:

I am very excited by "Stunt" because BNL is taking some new steps. The album has shades of blue all the way through it. Not just in Steve's vocals but the band collectively has a blues feel to it on "Stunt." I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't listen with a critical eye ("what does this sound like?...is it too comercial?...it's not as good as Gordon...yadda, yadda, yadda.") I instead sat back and let BNL take me on their musical path. Allowing them to lead me into new sounds and styles.

This is not the same band that brought you Gordon...(Just like you are not the same person that you were ten years ago.) Who wants to be judged for the rest of their life by something they did so many years ago? This is a band that is discovering who they are and where they want to go artistically. They are constantly changing, thank goodness! As long as they evolve and mature, they will keep our interest.

My main questions are: Who has been influencing the band recently? I wonder if BNL haven't been listening to some classic rock recently. For me, "Stunt" is reminsint of the Beatles, maybe some early seventies hillbilly-blues-rock ("Leave", "Long Way Back Home") and the samplings that create a musical montage ("When You Dream") remind me of Pink Floyd.

Some examples of what I think are blues:

• The organ work in "Light Up My Room"
• Guitar work on "I'll be that Girl" (Listen on your left speaker)
• All of "Leave" and "Long Way Back Home" - I am very excited by this sound from BNL
• The bridge in "Alcohol" (VERY Beatles) and the piano work
• I love, at the second chorus, how dark they bring an otherwise poppy "Call and Answer"
• The organ in "Never Is Enough." Mixed with scratching! WOW!

I LOVE the sycopation in "Leave." (More on "Leave" to be linked here soon.)

At first "In the Car" kinda turned me off, so to speek. But the lyrics are really growing on me.

"Who Needs Sleep" really is pretty awesome! I can't really nail down why. Hala! Hala! Hala!

Is it just me or does anyone else hear the Dead's "Friend of the Devil" at the beginning of "Told You So"?

I think "Some Fantastic" is classic Steve/Ed BNL. "Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.." Again with the organ! :-)

"She's on Time" Classic BNL fun. Where's the drummer?

Oh, and I'm not just saying this to be nice cause he's sick, but Kevin's keyboard work on the whole album and his guitar in "Leave" was inspired.

'( '-' )' Bearnaked Joe

'( '-' )' Bearnaked Joe's > BNL at Bearnaked Joe's > Stunt Review