FIVE STAR NIGHT is the
second LP from beatnik-punk-pop duo, The Ex-Bombers.
Before I get into it, I just want to say that this album isn't at all what you will be expecting. Whether you've seen The Ex-Bombers live or not (and you must) makes absolutely no difference, Five Star Night will make you take a step back from your stereo. As the needle makes its way through the groove you'll probably catch yourself in a pose similar to that of Nipper, the old RCA dog, cocking your head and listening, trying to find that place in your mind where what you are hearing can find some familiar company. Well, I'm here to tell you that it won't happen; and that's the trick, don't even try to find that "Oh, they sound like..." comparison, just simply let this album be exactly what it is. Art.
I'll be the first to say that I think it
would have been really easy for The Ex-Bombers to just lay their live
show down onto tape for this album...and to be honest, that's
pretty much what I was expecting when I first put this on my turntable; I
mean, they put on an insanely unique show/performance, why wouldn't
they try to capture that on record?
Now, I'm sure the version of Five Star
Night that I was expecting to hear would have been
great; and I imagine it would have been a very live, in-the-moment
record with a punk-ish sorta vibe to it...pretty cool, right? But here's the
thing, The Ex-Bombers took a completely different route, choosing to pull back a bit on the amped-up live show vibe and instead reveal
more of the layers to these
great songs; and in doing so, I think revealed
even more about themselves as a band.
The production on Five Star Night never comes close to going overboard or sounding glossy or "modern"; let's just call it "tastefully minimalistic", as the betterment of the song always seems to be the top priority, with bells and whistles being used beautifully throughout. Because of all this, Five Star Night lends itself more to repeated listens than being the kind of record where you have to be in a specific mood in order to reach for it in your collection. You can spin Five Star Night at a party, you can spin Five Star Night while you're hanging out at home...it just works.
Now, I don't know if everyone will have (or has had) the same experience that I had with this album, but something happens right around the third time spinning Five Star Night where it really starts to sink in, and in today's "SKIP!" or "I'll put this on and ignore it" music listening world, I can't tell you how thrilled I am that this album is only available on vinyl...because Five Star Night absolutely deserves that kind of attention.
I know we all could instantly name those records in our collection that, for one reason or another, hold just a little more meaning to us; sometimes it's a record that makes you feel like you're in on this killer secret while listening to it...Five Star Night is one of those records.
The Ex-Bombers are an 8-string bass (Scott Walus) and drums (Keri Cousins) combo out of Charleston, IL. whose confidence in navigating the more avant-garde terrain of the rock-n-roll landscape is on full display on Five Star Night. Get in there.
The production on Five Star Night never comes close to going overboard or sounding glossy or "modern"; let's just call it "tastefully minimalistic", as the betterment of the song always seems to be the top priority, with bells and whistles being used beautifully throughout. Because of all this, Five Star Night lends itself more to repeated listens than being the kind of record where you have to be in a specific mood in order to reach for it in your collection. You can spin Five Star Night at a party, you can spin Five Star Night while you're hanging out at home...it just works.
Now, I don't know if everyone will have (or has had) the same experience that I had with this album, but something happens right around the third time spinning Five Star Night where it really starts to sink in, and in today's "SKIP!" or "I'll put this on and ignore it" music listening world, I can't tell you how thrilled I am that this album is only available on vinyl...because Five Star Night absolutely deserves that kind of attention.
I know we all could instantly name those records in our collection that, for one reason or another, hold just a little more meaning to us; sometimes it's a record that makes you feel like you're in on this killer secret while listening to it...Five Star Night is one of those records.
The Ex-Bombers are an 8-string bass (Scott Walus) and drums (Keri Cousins) combo out of Charleston, IL. whose confidence in navigating the more avant-garde terrain of the rock-n-roll landscape is on full display on Five Star Night. Get in there.
Available in glorious mono over @ Cavetone Records.