In an era when music has been bastardized into so many micro-genres that nearly every new band traces back to an obvious musical niche, precursor, or dominating influence, it's refreshing to say that I've never heard anything quite like M-Lab before. In fusing together elements of progressive rock, piano-based pop and Broadway theatricality, this unique quintet has created a sound all its own.
This New York-based group's originality stems in part from the
unique building blocks of its sound -- acoustic and electric piano
(Derek Gregor), acoustic and electric violin (Skye Steele), bass
guitar (Twon), drums (Mike White) and vocals (Drew Brody, with
harmonies from Twon). How these pieces fit together changes from
song to song on
From Baser Elements, or even from minute to minute. The
first 60 seconds of "Free Now" sound like a chamber quartet, the
second like the quiet section from a Broadway score, and the
remainder like a slow-building, somewhat operatic rock ballad with
keening violin accents.
In places the piano-playing captures a kind of Freddy Mercury-esque sense of pomp and grandeur, but is more typically flowing and lyrical. You can find hints of Coldplay in the supple melodies of tracks like "Talking To Myself," but more typical are the Kansas-meets-Andrew Lloyd Webber stylings of "Cityscape." The one song that has kind of a pop feel is hidden at the end of the disc -- "To Be There" sounds vaguely Dennis De Young/Styx-ish on the choruses, though its verses and instrumental passages are much quieter than that implies.
The songs tend to be somewhat free-form narratives, full of gently observational moments like "Your favorite time of day is right before sundown / The golden hour when we change and shower / And welcome the night" (from the softly rocking "Tompkins Square"), not to mention "And when you walk out the door / I'll have what I came here for" (from ironic closer "Begin Again").
Overall, From Baser Elements showcases a band finding its way with a new and unique sound. Not all of these songs connected with me, but none of them failed to merit my attention, either. There's an intensity here that simply cannot be denied; all evidence suggests that M-Lab is most impressive in a live setting. If you're in the greater New York area, you might want to check them out via their Web site at www.m-labmusic.com.