Album Review: Mace Ballard's 'The Next Time You See Sky'
Hailed in 2010 as Pittsburgh's favorite band (that is not the Clarks), winner of band contests and local polls, pop punk foursome Mace Ballard have released their first full length album - and it is truly an album. From the first notes of A Beginner's Guide to Beginnings to the last vestiges of Remainder, Mace Ballard rocks hard and smart. Each song is distinctive, but the 13 tracks on the group's debut fit well together to form an intriguing whole, the way albums used to be constructed in the golden album era of the 1970s. This resulting collection is greater than the sum of its parts, as good albums can be, positively betraying the musicians' ambition, intelligence, humor - and musical tastes.
Mace Ballard is a pop oriented punk band, like Green Day, but with other quirkier influences that give them substance and edge. For instance, the second track, Close Reading, starts off like a Yes outtake before shifting gears and settling into a melodic but insistent punk jam. Time Machines Exist could be a Monster-era REM track, at least at first, before riding guitarist Brandon Lehman's chunky guitar into a Green Day-esque punk anthem. Then, just when you think you've got that track figured out, Lehman lays out an extended prog-rock guitar solo.
Are they a pop/punk group? Yes, and no. In their best moments, they transcend genre, creating a distinctively eclectic sound.
I don't want to give you the impression that Mace Ballard is derivative because they are not. But they do know their music. Do these guys have big music collections? I'll bet they do. Do they listen to an eclectic mix of music. They must. In fact, I hope they listen even more broadly than they do now! You can hear it in the tracks and the tracks don't lie. I love the fact that the songs often veer off into unexpected territory - ballads, harmony vocals, chunky punk guitar, power pop, anthem rock, prog-rock - you name it. In fact, I wish they'd do MORE of that.
Mace Ballard knows their music and has the chops to prove it.
Chris Daley's voice fits the band's melodic punk approach. Drummer Steve La Russa's ferocious drumming drives each song as rock drummers should. Brandon Lehman's guitar work is skillful and varied, a strong counterpoint to Daley's vocals.
Perhaps bassist TJ Angelo's rhythms get a bit lost in Steve Soboslai's polished production which mixes the drums, guitars and vocals almost all equally on top, but the sound of the record is extremely convincing and well produced. I'd be curious to hear more from Angelo next time out - what would a more bass heavy, polyrhythmic Mace Ballard record sound like?
Ultimately, what makes The Next Time You See Sky so listenable is the partnership between Daley's literate and intelligent lyrics and Lehman's melodies and chords. I hope these guys continue to explore their songwriting and push their sound envelope further, beyond the given pop punk genre, into new and more varied places. Bright future ahead.
Now if only it were on vinyl...
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