Band: Subject to Thoughts
Band Website: www.subjecttothoughts.com
Label: Independent CDR Release
Release Date: 2007
I remember reading once where an independent label owner said something like; the best scenario
he could see for music was where anyone who wanted to could release some music and anyone who wanted to could hear it and buy it.
Well it seems we’re pretty much at that point. That thought struck me while listening to the independently released CDR from the bandSubject to Thoughts entitled From Sunrise to Sunset. The band itself started out as a musical project for Mark Mendieta whose released
a few earlier recordings, at first on cassette and then CD. From Sunrise to Sunset is the third installment of his four part vision.
His earlier work was strictly instrumental but this time around he’s added Brandon Strader on vocals and guitar.
The music of Subject
to Thoughts is described in the promo material as being influenced by bands such as Dream Theater, Enchant and Anekdoten and that
may be the case but it doesn’t sound like those bands at all. In fact the sound isn’t derivative of anyone as far as I can hear. The
music crafted here is more subdued, lower-key, and more minor-key. There is a kind of solo, multi-instrumentalist feel to the project,
mainly because that’s what it is, but the actual songs are quite well developed. And while some may quibble over the drum-machine
style it seems to fit the music quite well. The disc From Sunrise to Sunset features 11 tracks with the longest being the title track
at 11:53 and most of the rest in the 6-minute range. Stylistically they label themselves as ‘dark melodic progressive rock’ and for
the most part that’s a pretty descriptive label. Their compositions are longer with layers of droning synths performing the role of
strings or other atmospheric sounds, while the guitars punctuate the musical proceedings from time to time without ever overpowering
the sound. There is a definite sense of foreboding that permeates most of the tracks, which are mostly mid-tempo. Sound-wise the music
here is quite spacious, there’s lots of room to breathe and this may in fact reflect a kind of New Age influence, although it must
be said there’s a little too much going on with the arrangements for that to be a negative. Strader’s vocals will take some getting
used to as they’re delivered in a melancholy, almost pleading and mournful fashion. The lyrical theme of From Sunrise to Sunset revolves
around trying to find the answers to life and in that sense the vocal style seems all the more intentional. But perhaps because of
such a distinctive vocal approach there is a feeling of similarity that rears its ugly head for the last half of the disc. The compositions
tend to lose their uniqueness and start to blend in to each other. Still that’s hardly an insurmountable challenge.
As
far as home-made projects go, Subject to Thoughts gets high marks in my book. Here’s a guy who has a desire to play music and he’s
doing it. Not just talking about it but actually creating it. I think that’s great. My guess the work of Mark Mendieta is only going
to get better. If you’re looking for new music in the prog field, you could do worse than take a chance on Subject to Thoughts. We’ll
be watching for future projects from these guys.