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Do IT this week: Layering
Guitarist-songwriter Muratore sells his lyrics well in full-length debut disc
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Sunday, Jan 27, 2008
Stereovox is an Akron-based quartet that has been gigging in and around the area since coming together in 2005, and Believe is its full-length debut.
The band's sound sits comfortably in the mainstream pop/alt-rock genre and as such offers few surprises musically. In all of the disc's dozen tunes, the choruses come right where you expect them, the guitar solos last eight or 16 bars, and there's no attempt at fusing musical genres.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes bands that aim to be ''different'' end up sounding scattered, or watering down whatever musical flavors they are trying to incorporate.
What Stereovox does have is singer/guitarist Michael Muratore, who writes the bulk of the album's material and proves himself to be solid, building the songs from chords rather than riffs. His earnest, emotional tenor really sells his mostly positive and occasionally Christian-friendly lyrics well.
The disc opener, the midtempo Standing By, has a big chorus as Muratore harmonizes with himself, telling a friend/lover ''I'll always be there, standing by / Standing right where you need me,'' while Nicholas Skeriotis' guitar chimes with an Edge-like clarity. (Bassist Andrew Skeriotis and drummer Scott Christoff fill out the lineup.)
On Run Away, a straightforward rocker, Muratore again offers his assistance to someone in need, while Fatal State of Mind, the album's best uptempo tune, contains one of the disc's most memorable melodies.
Believe isn't just the album's title; it's also the theme of the album and perhaps Muratore's personal mantra. He sings about believing in oneself on the power ballad Love: ''Fend for yourself, believe in no one else / Faith is there to choose, it's easier to abuse,'' and invokes God, Jesus and the novel concept of everyone loving one another on the title track.
The album recorded at Akron's Dreamstate Studios sounds reasonably professional, though Muratore occasionally sounds like he's singing in a booth (which he likely was, but listeners shouldn't be able to hear that in the mix) and the band's performance is fine throughout. But, for all of its talent, too often, the familiar radio-ready rock sound of Believe gets the toes tapping but still lacks the always hard to pinpoint ''it'' factor to separate Stereovox from a thousand other reasonably talented rock bands.
From Believe, evidence suggests that ''it'' lies with Muratore's continued development as a songwriter (and to a lesser extent Nicholas Skeriotis, as he co-wrote three of the tunes) and the band's ability to turn those songs into fully realized records that define the Stereovox sound instead of just sounding familiar.
Believe can be purchased at http://cdbaby.com/cd/stereovox or http://stereovoxband.com/.
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
Stereovox is an Akron-based quartet that has been gigging in and around the area since coming together in 2005, and Believe is its full-length debut.
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