Unfinished Thought
Based On Actual Events
Shiverstar Records
Take the sonic intensity of Garbage and condense it into a duo, and you get Unfinished Thought. Mastermind Joe Kiser takes the keyboard sounds of the eighties, the guitars of the nineties and the electronic programming of Nine Inch Nails and combines it all with the soft Amy Lee-esque vocals of Stacey Nelson to make the experience that is their second album, Based on Actual Events.
This concept album chronicles the life of “The Timid,” a recluse who is coming to terms with different circumstances only to take a look at his life and realize that it has passed him by. The story begins with The Timid feeling “the stares” as he walks “Through Crowded Rooms” and down the “Sidewalks.” He must be in Seattle, because he gets his “Umbrella” and contemplates the “Possibilities” that he “wanted to be erased.” It is then “Evening” and he tries to piece together “The Order of Detail” while standing “Perfectly Still.” By the end of the album, he realizes that he is just a “Silhouette,” and that he is not “Coming Back” because he has let his life slip away. That is the album in a nutshell.
On the track “The Timid,” our protagonist realizes that “the world outside/has quietly passed me by/I think to myself/that should have been mine.” This toned-down and understated track is different from the rest of the album, in that it is more acoustic and less electronic. It is by far the best song on the album.
Based on Actual Events is a dark, gothic and brooding album that must be studied. A casual listen will not even come close to the full realization of the intricate rhythms, blips and bleeps that are interlaced with contemplative lyrics. Unfinished Thought are a very talented duo who create music with more passion than any other group that I have heard. If you are looking for a new and different electronic album in the vein of Garbage or Portishead, then Based on Actual Events is an absolute must-have.
Unfinished Thought: http://www.unfinishedthought.com
