Coheed and Cambria – new classic rock

My good friend and web development colleague Seb gave me a couple of tracks by Coheed and Cambria. An obscure name, and the music was a surprise too – especially the vocals, which remind me mainly of the singer from 80s band Scritti Politti. He doesn’t look like him however, and when you watch a video and suddenly he breaks into song your eyes pop out of your head – most would assume a brash rock vocal to pour out, rather than the delicate upper register tones!

Anyway, I am now a little obsessed with Coheed and Cambria, especially their latest album “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness”. If ever there was a title to create intrigue… anyway they ply top quality pop rock prog and they are a spectacle to behold too, Claudio the frontman has plenty of unusual X factor.

At first play I found the record really disorientating, too much to take in, and wondered if I’d ever get to grips with it and be able to remember the hooks never mind the twists. Thankfully it only took another couple of listens and I had formed an addiction. I can now hear it for the pop that it is while appreciating the fancy bits. I listen to this record every day, usually several times, at the moment.

Just hop along to their web site to watch the cheesy video for “The Suffering” in the Media section, MySpace for some free tunes or iTunes Music Store. I bought the album from iTunes and to be frank, it was fantastic to have it in minutes to feed my newfound addiction.

The singles are by necessity lighter and more conventional than the album tracks – there’s lots of syncopation and twiddly bits on the album – but every track on the album is excellent in its own right… but it makes up part of a 4 or 5 album concept story. Who said prog rock is dead?

Ultimately this is an incredibly catchy album, really well produced – especially with all the backing vocals and harmonies – and it is a modern day classic I tell you. Really uplifting too – just don’t listen too close to the at times rather dark lyrics if you are faint-hearted!
Five things I didn’t expect to hear on this album:

• Claudio singing the notes of a guitar solo through a fuzz-box
• So many “wo wo wo”s, a pop staple!
• Use of hand claps – always welcome
• Lots of syncopated stuff and emphasis shifts
• Hammond (and other) organs