Released: 1999
Tracks: Did You Know; Epifany; Som’n Wicked; Beamin’; One Step Closer; Cupcake; Other Side; Golden Hominy; Rock and a Hard Thing; Space Love and Harmony; 20 Hundred Years Ago; Maria Jane (Live); Som’n Wicked (single mix)
Best track: One Step Closer
Track to skip: none really
As of this writing, I don’t yet have Citizen Lane’s second album, Lion’s Mouth, so my observations on the growth of the band have to jump from their 1st album to this, their 3rd one. When I saw this album, I hadn’t heard from the group in a few years and honestly had no idea that they still existed. What happened in the years after the 2nd album was that Lane Eubank (leader and primary songwriter of the group) moved to Denton, TX, went back to school in the music school at the University of North Texas and then formed a new band. This album was recorded in Lane’s house (except for the live version of Maria Jane) and it sounds surprisingly great. It still knocks me off my guard to hear ‘home recordings’ sound this good. Just goes to show that you don’t need an expensive studio to have an excellent sounding album.
The growth between the first album 4 years before and this album is just insane. This album shows how utterly comfortable the band is in the studio and they (what sounds as being effortless) play like they’re playing a show. The band is extremely tight, but loose enough so that the grooves just drip off the disc. Like I said in the review for their first album, Citizen Lane is a band to be seen live. It shocked me when I got this to hear how they just totally captured that live atmosphere on a studio album. This album has some fantastic grooves and I can’t help but shaking my ass wherever I am while listening to this. Sitting in a chair in front of my computer? Yeah, my ass is shaking. There are so many great grooves on this album! Lane’s songwriting is stellar here, but I have to make special mention to bassist Jeff Plant and drummer Paul Stivitts. These guys are the reason why the grooves are so fat on this album. It’s just a “shake your ass all over the place” kind of disc.
I love that the group brought in a keyboardist for this album; it really brings out the funk on this album. Most of the songs are really just excellent, but there are a few that rise above those and are nearly life-changing. I love it in the chorus of Som’n Wicked where *that* chord comes and it’s like the sun bursting through the clouds after not seeing it for three months. It’s such a radiant chord. Both Did You Know and Space Love & Harmony feature some nice vocals from Norah Jones, a few years before anybody heard of her. Epifany is a great funk track that changes to a ska near the end and it’s so perfect. The absolute highlight of the album is definitely One Step Closer. I get homesick for Austin every time I hear it because it not only sounds like Austin, but it name-drops a ton of Austin references. It’s such a beautiful and groovetastic song and one of my all time favorites by anyone. Lovingspaceharmony is a great album and I tend to listen to this one quite a lot. I’d highly recommend trying to find a copy of this.
Rating: 96
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