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The Slack: Wishful Sinking

By Keith Hannaleck

Artist: The Slack
Title: Wishful Sinking
Label: Where's My Elephant? (BMI)
Genre: Indie/Alternative/Rock
Website: http://theslack.org/
Myspace: www.myspace.com/theslack

Dallas, Texas band The Slack makes music that has a dynamic pop/new-rock sound. The melodies change up dramatically during phases of a number of songs, and the band incorporates a wide range of instrumentation into many of the tracks on Wishful Sinking. There is a variety of styles on this release, and some of the songs have that quality where they almost sound familiar.

Chris Holt’s voice is a pleasant tenor that falls somewhere between Art Garfunkel and Eric Woolfson (Alan Parson’s Project). “You Deserve Better,” a song from an admirer to a girl who chooses to be with a different guy, and “Leaving Chicago,” about escaping from a rut by moving to a new city, are like Alan Parson tracks that have been updated for the new millennium with an edgier, more contemporary guitar style. Like Parson, these guys take full advantage of what the studio has to offer by layering their tracks with all kinds of cool sounds in the rhythm and the melody, making this album feel almost psychedelic in places.

“Breaking Down” reminds me of 80s alt bands Oingo Boingo and The Vapors. It begins with a manic electric guitar for a measure and then drums and this zany bell sound comes chiming in, creating a unique, discordant jam. The song has a fun tempo even though it is about wanting to end a friendship with someone that is verbally combative. “Whisper,” a song of support to someone who has moved out on their own, is a gentle acoustic number with violins and a trumpet added to make the song practically reach out and hug the listener.

In most cases, the music and its arrangement demonstrate a certain compositional maturity, but I found the lyrics to be aimed more toward eighteen to twenty-four year olds. They are full of teen-angst and betrayal in relationships. Verses like “Rain fall down on me / Rain fall down on me / I’m so blind I cannot see” from the song “Leaving Chicago” sound cool but, together, they don’t really seem to mean anything, and from the same song the words “A sound of fear rings in my ear / I just can’t breathe a sigh of relief / No more grief,” vaguely hint at an anxiety disorder, but I’m not sure that was the intent of the writer.

All things being equal, I will probably put Wishful Sinking in rotation on the CD changer; I enjoy the music and the singing and I’m interested in seeing how The Slack play these songs live. Rumor has it they are good performers, and they appear to be building quite a following.

Reviewed - September 11, 2007

Tracks:

01. The Tunnel
02. You Deserve Better
03. Leaving Chicago
04. Nothing New
05. Wishful Sinking
06. Insatiable
07. Breaking Down
08. The Thief
09. Whisper
10. Blackout
11. Birthday Cake
12. Weathering The Storm
13. The Big Picture
14. What's To Come

Credits:

Chris Holt: acoustic and electric guitars, piano, moog synthesizer, mellotron, harmonium, Wurlitzer, harpsichord, bass, drums, percussion and lead vocals
Eric Neal: electric guitars, electric bass, double bass, violin and backing vocals
Steve Luthye: piano, organ, fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, sequential six-track synthesizer, trumpet and backing vocals
David Deshazo: bass and backing vocals
Tom Bridwell: drums, backing vocals and studio wizardry

Guests:

Ward Williams: pedal steel on "Insatiable"
Tamara Caulble: violin on "Weathering the Storm"
Buffi Jacobs: cello on "Insatiable" and "Weathering the Storm"

About the Author:

Keith Hannaleck, known as “MuzikMan” is a Journalist specializing in independent and major music reviews and the promotion of artists via the various media outlets flourishing online. He has worked closely with artists, management, publicity directors, and webmasters to provide some of the best and far-reaching coverage an artist could have. Focusing primarily on the internet as a medium for his work, Keith has been a pioneer in the industry changing the way a reviewer with his various talents are used by many artists, PR folks, and labels. He has provided strong and valuable work to labels, artists, and publicity people, writing reviews, press releases, and biographies and much more over the years, giving the people he works with the maximum amount of exposure through several top-notch websites that post his content on their sites.

Hannaleck built and maintained his own website in 1998 while networking and building his reputation through thousands of reviews and interviews, creating a special niche for himself. Through many years of dedication and hard work, he has reached a respected level of competence and knowledge that is frequently sought by the music industry today. Known for his speaking from the heart interpretations of music and being able to put it in layman’s terms for music fans, his work is found everywhere in cyberspace and in traditional print media, from press kits to quotes from reviews in magazine advertisements.