There’s no easy way to break this to you, but Sound Proof are a bunch of hippies.
I’m sorry but it had to be said.
Right, now we’ve got that out of the way we can move on.
Sound Proof’s Press Release is adept at stating the obvious, describing the outfit as ‘a collection of songs and music built around the styles of the musicians and artists who perform them’. What a radical concept: people making music based on music they like to make! Wow!
Furthermore Sound Proof is a loosely formed collective who get together whenever and with whomever to do…whatever. This ‘loose’ approach also extends to the band’s name; when they tour they have also been known as Enter Landscapes, Soul Beyond, Latino Chrome, The Goones, Jane Doe and Dove.
Either they have an acute identity crisis or are trying to dodge ‘The Man’.
The music is split between stoned improvised acoustic jamming sessions with blues/rock overtones -including a penchant for using spoons and anything else that can be banged and is within reach of the microphone – and vocal tracks built primarily around key member Jason Hanley.
The jamming sessions range from the dire ‘Spoons’, described as ‘AN ACOUSTICAL VOYAGE INTO THE POSSIBILITIE’S OF KITCHEN SPOONS AND LAP RHYTHM’S’, to the OK (e.g. ‘Daniel’s Drum’).
For me the track ‘Drop D’ is just one and a half minute’s worth of acoustic flim-flam but apparently it ‘HIGHLIGHTS THE GUITAR ORCHESTRATION AND THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING OF MELODY AND CHORDAL MOVEMENT OF BOTH MODERN AND TRADITIONAL MUSIC’.
Hey, I’ll have what they’re smoking!
On the plus side Jason is a fine guitarist and an excellent harmonica player and it is his ‘proper songs’ that give this album some impetus and direction, albeit weak and unfocussed. His best songs (‘Always’, ‘Full Moon’) have a sense of purpose about them, as if a few days off the weed provided some clarity.
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But he is hampered in his efforts to engage me fully by the Letts Guide notes that accompany each song. For example:
‘Jakeamya’ ‘IS A SONG WRITTEN ABOUT ONE MANS WALK TO THE EDGE OF LIFE AND ACTUALIZING WHAT IT REALLY IS WORTH’,
OK;
‘Seems So Easy’ allegedly ‘DATES BACK TO THE MID 90’S WHEN SONG WRITER JAY DURHAM SPENT EXTREME AMOUNTS OF TIME EXPERIMENTING WITH PSYCHEDELICS AND SUBSIDIZING WITH HERBAL TRADE’,
woah, dude;
‘Full Moon’ is about the fact that ‘EXPERIENCING ALSO PROMPTS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND STRANGE FEELINGS’,
eh?;
finally, when you listen to the track ‘Pity’, pay careful attention as ‘YOU MIGHT MISS THE MESSAGE OF HUMILITY IN THIS SONG’,
thanks for that. I am now suitably po-faced.
Occasionally Jason is joined by Victoria Pearson who desperately wants to be Stevie Nicks and gets a full wailing banshee workout ala Ms. Nicks on the track ‘Screamin’. According to the notes on the track ‘Simple Song’ Jason is accompanied by Gil Pemberton who is apparently ‘one of the world’s most innovative harp players’.
I played this song three times and not once did I hear a harp.
Which, to be fair, is pretty innovative.
For all I know Sound Proof could be playing in a town near you, but as they might be using one of their multitude of pseudonyms I can’t tell you for sure one way or the other.
If you do catch them live just remember to bring your spoons.
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