Acoustic Philosophy
Acoustic Philosophy II
Dark Moon Records
Maybe it was a backlash against grunge, but I can’t remember when it was suddenly cool to go “unplugged.” It feels like a lifetime ago, even though it’s probably only been a couple of years. Upon receiving the latest CD by Acoustic Philosophy, red flags were raised. The unplugged approach has gone past the saturation point; after a while it all blurs together.
Thankfully, Acoustic Philosophy aren’t playing by the rules. For one thing, they have these cinematic African bongo sounds in their percussion. These tribal rhythms add color to the mix, a sense of voodoo danger that heightens the tension. Furthermore, the riffs are not made up of generic strumming. It sickens me how so many musicians are cashing in without even playing interesting chords. Phil Celia has a narrator’s voice that enables us to see as well as feel his words. His emotions are held back, letting listeners fill in the blanks. The lyrics aren’t generic, either, distancing Acoustic Philosophy further from their contemporaries.
If there was a group to compare Acoustic Philosophy to, it would be Morphine, whose mood-spinning tales were equally compelling.
Acoustic Philosophy: http://www.acousticphilosophy.com
