Track Listing

1. Robinson Crusoe
2. Falling Down
3. Thank You
4. Love Her
5. Build a Bridge
6. Hung Up on the Way I'm Feeling
7. On My Way
8. It's Alright
9. Front Page
10. How the Story Goes
11. Back Together
12. Glory of War
13. Rock & Roll

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78573 in Music
• Released on: 2005-06-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Amazon.com
Whether such lofty notions as "the circle remains unbroken" or "all things old become new again" mean much to The Redwalls is debatable. But the young Chicago quartet channels their passion for r&b-tinged '60s/'70s rock forms with admirable energy on a big label debut that seems as inspired by resurgent Britpop as it does a reaction against a decade of shoe-gazing alt.rock. The raucous opener "Robinson Crusoe" lurches with loping rhythms and a brass section wallop, while the gritty vocal swagger of Logan Baren belies his age (at 22, he's the band's elder statesman) and avoids most of the pitfalls of poseurhood. Yet there's more to Redwalls here than the muscular mod pretensions of hard-charging anthems like "On My Way" and "It's Alright," ranging confidently from the infectious blue-eyed soul of "Thank You" and "Hung Up On the Way I'm Feeling" to the bittersweet pop melancholy of "Front Page" and noisy psych-dirge "Back Together." Like any good recipe, it's not the familiarity of the ingredients that triumphs here, but the heart and soul with which they're lovingly stirred together. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Think Monkeys, not Beatles
The Beatles comparison is inescapable. These songs are close enough that one can't use the word 'original' without blinking. The Redwalls' De Nova is De rivative. But that's ok. Because, like the Monkeys (America's answer to the Moptops), this is still good music and really fun. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in exuberance. Lots of melody, harmony, and rhythm crammed onto one disc. The Beatles were the seminal moment- the spark that lit countless fires. The Redwalls are one of those fires (a big blazing bonfire) that heats things up and, with no irony, salutes the Fab Four proudly.

Retro-rockin' Fun
The "album cover" art should be your first clue of what to expect from the Redwalls: a "shelf-worn" effect and a cover photo of them in rather Beatle-esque poses. (Apparently they passed on an opportunity to label their CD tracks as "Side 1" and "Side 2".) But these guys are not "poseurs" - they have an honest passion and commitment to the "British Invasion" sound of the 1960's. Throughout this energetic and musically authentic effort, you'll hear echoes of the Who, early Elton John, and especially the John Lennon side of the Beatles. (Listen to the closing track, "Rock and Roll", and then try telling me I'm wrong.) These young lads from Chicago have nailed down the sound better than any of their contemporaries, better than even Canada's Sam Roberts. This is a fun and energetic CD with a number of standout tracks, including "Build a Bridge", "Robinson Crusoe", and "Thank You". (And for you "sensitive" listeners, don't let the "explicit" tag scare you off - it's only for one song, "Falling Down", which uses profanity to make a point about radio censorship.) This album doesn't pretend to be avant garde, nor does it want to be. Just put in on, shake your mop-top, jump around, play air guitar, and enjoy it.

Almost a pop/rock masterpiece
The time has come for people to know about the Redwalls. This is a Chicago band that is so talented for their age (no-one over 22), it makes you wonder what superstars they could be a few years from now. De Nova is a solid mix of songs, comparable to The Black Crowes, Stones, mid-era Beatles, or Dylan, depending on what song you are on. The great thing about the Redwalls is their ability to perform classic sounding songs that seem like they actually could have been written in the 60's. Give this album a try now, and also check out their debut, Universal Blues, which is just as good.