moe. – Sticks and Stones

Rock From A Jam Band

The vocal stylings of Al Schnier, Chuck Garvey, and Rob Derhak combine with emphatic rock to create perhaps one of the most unique moe. albums in recent years, Sticks and Stones. The influences on this band are rather traditional, stemming from both straightforward rockers (The Rolling Stones) and jammers (The Grateful Dead), yet the recording of the album was decidedly less so: Eighty percent of it was recorded in the same session it was created, just weeks after moe.down 2007. That kind of confidence and comfort in each other’s talents shows through on their seventeenth album, proudly wearing a progressive rock label.The album starts off on the right foot, with “Cathedral” having typical moe. qualities: strong lyrics and instrumental techniques found in all the right places. The title track is a superb showing of guitar talent, the climax an unbelievable guitar solo that is often found on tour.

The band then ventures into songs of a different caliber. “Darkness” begins slowly and eventually takes off, sounding like the Green Day/Oasis mashup “Boulevard of Broken Songs.” “Conviction” on the whole is a much slower track that utilizes musical support from Allie Kral on violin—think of the intro to Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” as far as the relationship between soft vocals and strong guitar and percussion.

The band exudes its undeniable strength in instrumentation on “ZOZ.” Jim Loughlin’s vibes create a sound different from that of typical rock; this is the most jammy point of the album, which will surely be used as a transition from song to song at a live show.

Apart from the rest of the album showcasing vocals and guitar, “September” is a slow balladesque number utilizing Kral’s violin flair while “Raise the Glass” easily draws connections to Dropkick Murphys’ or Flogging Molly’s Irish sound. The latter is the perfect ending to the album: “May you never grow old / and never get caught / never desire what others have got / you get what you want and get what you need / and may we never get what we deserve.” Here’s hoping that moe. continues to give the devoted listener just what they deserve: satisfied needs through more solid albums like Sticks and Stones.