recently on the list-serve someone asked for thoughts on 764-hero. here's some of my thoughts... i like the new album good enough, but i was conditioned for it by the fact that i saw the band three times in seattle before the album hit the stores. specifically... 1. EMP (mural ampitheater) 2. open for Mark Lanegan (showbox) 3. headline Up Records Showcase (Sitnspin) and live they are quite good. so, i think the songs are better live than on the record. seeing "blue light" or "weekends of sound" is quite satisfying. so i encourage those kids out there from seattle to see 764-hero play at the sitnspin on august 19th and decide for yourselves. in concert, they rock and roll, whereas on the album, it's hard to tell if they are really rocking or not. and the mixdown of the album seems a little weird to me too... i think the biggest problem with the album is the fact that john goes for distorted vocals a little too much. it reminds me of grunge a little too much. i agree with some reviews that compare them to nirvana. i think they are justified in saying that. but 6 out of the 10 songs on the new album are strong. and as people, i really like 764-hero. john was bartending the other night at the cha cha lounge and was a real nice guy. and james is real nice as well, i had a chance to chat with him at EMP. so i'd say if you like the mouse, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out 764-hero. but instead of the new album, i'd say check out "get here and stay." i still believe that is their best work to date. just an opinion though... i am, ryan
