Braid
Lucky to Be Alive
Glue Factory
Ahhhh, Braid. I shall miss them, now and forever. This last live album, following close behind the superb Movie Music collection, is a thing of beauty. Hold it in your hand, and you already feel the beat pounding through your blood. It’s all here. From the first strains of that high and tight guitar to the first center cymbal ting across the empty spaces that scream louder than words, it’s all here. Not a lot of variation from the recorded versions, but we don’t mind, do we? The energy is first, and where the sound gets raw, you just grin, knowing you should’ve been there… and grin bigger if you were. The rhythms careen across the room, the songs get stuck in the back of my throat, but it tastes just right. A truly influential band, though many may not yet realize that. Standing tall among their peers and proud behind their music. The guitar harmonizing with the bass, dynamics gliding snare shot down into time change snapshot, and back up, outstretched and emotional. All the kids gather in the summer and sing these songs. Twist through the memory, we won’t forget. “…and I’ll know when I hear your name even if I have to sing it to myself.”
Glue Factory,, PO Box 404-BL, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; http://www.gluefactory.com
