Rub, The - Three Wishes


Year of Release: 2003
Label: self-released
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 47:49:00

You've really got to hand it to independent artists these days. More and more, these unsigned wonders are spending their own hard-earned dollars to release studio-quality CDs chock full of well-crafted music. NiL and Divided Sky are two excellent examples of this daring fraternity; now The Rub has joined the club with their engagingly original debut, Three Wishes

Hailing from northern Virginia, The Rub is essentially a "weekend hobby" group, comprised of professional musicians that, in their "real lives", are school teachers and members of the White House unit of the U. S. Marine Corps Band - yep, they play for the President! So, with those credentials, it makes sense that The Rub must be extremely talented individuals, and Three Wishes bears out that they are.

From the opening strains of "118", it becomes immediately clear that Three Wishes represents a style not often heard in the Western sphere: progressive pop! Mixing elements of symphonic and light rock, jazz, and folk music, the Rub has forged a catchy, lightweight sound (think Steely Dan and Spyro Gyra meets Genesis and Renaissance meets Joni Mitchell and Loreena McKennitt meets Todd Rungdren) that captures the attention and rarely lets it go. The arrangements are memorable and deceptively simple, with melodies easy enough to sing in the shower, but tricky enough to trip up a casual listener with uncommon meters and sudden dynamics. Strong vocals and expert musicianship lend heartfelt depth to the songs, especially lead vocalist Leslye Barrett, whose musical voice ranks squarely with those of today's best female singers.

Don't get me wrong, Three Wishesis not a perfect album, but it's pretty damned close. The Rub has some work to do with their composing; for example, the ending of "Mockingbird" runs a bit too long while the ending of "Everyman's Refrain" seems startlingly sudden. But that's a minor gripe because, honestly, the Rub has a unique vision and the chops to pull it off, and Three Wishesis the proof. File under "Required Listening"!


Tracklisting:
118 (4:14) / Dark Matters (4:53) / Journey Through The Dark (4:56) / I Wonder (5:24) / Mockingbird (4:30) / Jesse's Girl (4:17) / Wide Asleep (5:55) / Dog And Pony Show (3:54) / No Message (5:14) / Everyman's Refrain (4:25)

Musicians:
Leslye Barrett - vocals
Andreas Barrett - keyboards, vocals, viola
Rob Schonberger - bass
John Landau - guitars, vocals
Chris Ferrari - drums, percussion, vocals, trumpet

Guest musician:
Jeremy Saunders - saxophones, acoustic guitar (1), keyboards (3)

Discography:
Three Wishes (2003)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: September 22nd 2003
Reviewer: David Cisco
Score:
Artist website:
Hits: 2041
Language: english

  

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