Relocation
Artist: Plankeye
Label: BEC Recordings
Time: 11 Tracks / 43:19 minutes
After hearing the Scott Siletta-less Plankeye perform "Away in a Manger" for the BEC Recordings Christmas sampler Happy Christmas, my initial thought was that Siletta had swam away from a sinking ship. Thankfully, Plankeye's latest album, Relocation, proves me wrong, at least to an extent.
In case you were unaware, lead vocalist Siletta and drummer Adam Ferry left the pop-punk band last year, Ferry to get into full-time ministry and Siletta to pursue other ventures in the music industry. Plankeye is now comprised of guitarist/vocalist Eric Balmer and vocalist/bassist Luis Garcia. Frank Lenz (Fold Zandura, The Lassie Foundation) plays drums on the album, and the infamous Gene Eugene plays keyboards. Garcia's vocals are more nasal than Siletta's, although still good in their own right.
Relocation takes a drastically different musical direction than its predecessor, One and Only. While One and Only was speedy and more punk-flavoured, Relocation is slower, more thoughtful, and overall takes a more rock approach. Many of the lyrics seem directed toward the departed Siletta, such as "Say Now That You're Sorry":
Say now, that you're sorry
I forgive you. I promise to
Restore now, the order
That we once had before this all came
Down now
It's so useless
We're wasting the members that we've been
given
I miss you
The standout track on the album, however, is the slow, moody "Goodbye." Over a bed of piano and gently distorted guitar, Garcia, voice straining with emotion, sings:
Something woke me up in the midst of dream
and fantasy
Halfway there
But He always fills my cup
And He lifts me up, oh, how He lifts me up
Goodbye
Walk away, it's time to say goodbye
Relocation is far from the best Plankeye album (Commonwealth gets that honor)--much of the record is mere filler material, and one wishes Garcia and Balmer would have taken more time to write and choose songs for it. However, it is a good album in its own right, and does a good job representing the next era of Plankeye.
Michial Farmer (6/21/99)
I find myself listening to this CD quite a bit, but I still can’t say I like it. For the most part, Eric Balmer and Luis Garcia hold their own without Scott Stiletta and Adam Ferry, exhibiting their power-pop strengths on “Say Now That You’re Sorry,” “I Can’t Complain,” and “You Got It.” A couple of ballads, “Goodbye” and “Indivisible,” also reflect the pain and forgiveness the band has gone through. Countering this, however, are songs like “When It Comes,” a piece of fluff with a limping tempo and generic lyrics:
The day’s been long.
You’re feeling down and out.
Something’s wrong.
But what’s it all about?
A few other songs suffer from the same problems, making for some serious lulls. Still, about half the album is good, and these guys have always been decent songwriters. Consider this a minor slump.
Tommy Jolly (8/21/99)
This is not your brother's or sister’s Plankeye. Along with their switch to the Reformed denomination, this relatively mature Christian band switched its sound. One song that is particularly enjoyable and well-done is “Break My Fall," which sounds like Sting wrote and recorded it. Although they can't be accused of stagnating, whether their change is preferable will vary from listener to listener. Your opinion of the album as a whole will depend on whether you are a hard-core fan of Commonwealth or open to hearing something new from these guys. This album is definitely not Commonwealth.
Israel Kloss 8/24/99
What happens to a band when the lead singer and drummer leave? They break up, right? Not in Plankeye's case. Guitar player Eric Balmer and bass player Luis Garcia have kept the band's name to record the new album Relocation for BEC. Lead singer Scott Silletta is now fronting Fanmail and drummer Adam Ferry is on staff at a California church.
This is the band's fifth album, and their first for BEC. Plankeye evolved quickly from its early pop punk sound to a fuller rock sound on their third, breakthrough album, Commonwealth. From there, the foursome explored a sound more reminiscent of the band Live on the slower, darker album The One and Only. Yet listeners could find a common element between those albums in rocking songs like "Someday," "Commonwealth" and "BC."
You won't find many moments like that on the solid but bland Relocation. Although it is a nice collection of okay songs, it lacks strong, standout tracks. For example, the album starts with "Say Now That You're Sorry," a straightforward but disappointing rock song that's missing the big meaty hooks older Plankeye songs were built on. Overall, the album features the kind of homogenized rock and roll that radio loves so much these days, but fans will want more.
One exception may be the melancholy "Goodbye," which invokes memories of some of Plankeye's best slow tracks. Although you can't help but wonder if the band needs to listen to their own lyrics:
Goodbye
Walk away. It's time to say goodbye.
Now all that's left are pictures on the wall.
Memories and stories that are told.
Balmer and Garcia have taken on lead vocals, but without Scott Silletta at the microphone, it's hard to imagine this is the same band. The two remaining members just don't make up for Silletta's loss, because neither of them muster Silleta's sense of energy and intensity. On "I Can't Complain" Balmer and Garcia sing together, but not in any sort of harmony. Instead, the vocals seem to be competing with each other.
Compared to the loss of a lead singer, however, the departure of drummer Adam Ferry is not immediately evident. Fold Zandura's Frank Lenz fills in behind the drums well. But it still remains to be seen who will pound the skins when Plankeye hits the road.
Technically speaking, the album's production is solid. Studio whiz Gene Eugene is once again at the helm, but he should have encouraged the band to pick up the tempo in places. Too many of the songs fall into a mid-tempo wasteland which is a far cry from the pop-punk sounds that attracted thousands of fans to Commonwealth-era Plankeye, while they were on their first big national tour opening for the Newsboys.
Although Relocation isn't devoid of merit, it doesn't live up to the high standards Plankeye has set in the past. Balmer and Garcia have been part of four great Plankeye albums, but this one definitely does not sound like the best record to date for a mature band.
Steve White 9/6/99