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| Secret Machines | 
 enlarge | Artist: Secret Machines
Label: Tsm Recordings
Category: Music
List Price: $14.98 (€11.83)
Buy New: $6.05 (€4.78)
You Save: $8.93 (€7.05) (60%)
Buy New/Used from $6.05 (€4.78)
Avg. Customer Rating:  (5 reviews)
Sales Rank: 9005
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.3
MPN: 10801
UPC: 805551080125
EAN: 0805551080125
ASIN: B001FBSLZO
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Atomic Heels | | • | Last Believer, Drop Dead | | • | Have I Run Out | | • | Underneath The Concrete | | • | Now You're Gone | | • | The Walls Are Starting To Crack | | • | I Never Thought to Ask | | • | The Fire Is Waiting |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
The record is a logical creative step for The Secret Machines, over Now Here Is Nowhere (2004) and Ten Silver Drops(2006). It's a nod ahead of to, yet not a departure from, the psychedelic rock that has helped make Dallas-bred NYC transplants a fan critical darling in the U.S. and Europe - not to mention favorites of U2's The Edge and David Bowie. Going forward theband sees nothing but open skies.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A dirty little word called... November 20, 2008
I'll start this review with a dirty little four letter word.
PROG !!!
Now, ease back gently & let me elaborate somewhat...
The aforementioned word is not really dirty-except amongst snobby music critics & unadventurous listeners who can't handle tunes that run longer than 5 minutes-or feature unconventional arrangements or time signatures. Why this is relevant is due to something that is totally inescapable: This minor masterpiece just reeks of Prog! Everything about this album features typical prog type influences that are so damn obvious to my own unique musical radar.
So, here's my track by track analysis.
1) "Atomic Heals" This slow burning opener starts out with beefy drums, squawly guitars reverberating metronomically whilst Brandon Curtis wails away about losing his heels.
2) "Last believer, drop dead" A more simplistic repetitive drum pattern anchors this mid tempo tune, with a great combo of guitar effects/chords soaring off into some imagined space.
3) "Have I run out" Starting with supple cymbal splashes, this is another slow burner which kicks into gear at the 1.35 mark, the rhythm picking up a few notches, aided by 2 contrasting guitar lines. Would probably be a monster live in concert. Again, Josh Garza's drumming is first rate. And filled out with powerhouse bombastic synth work (Prog!). First track past the 7 min mark (7.40 to be exact...)
4) "Underneath the concrete" A more urgent up-tempo muscular tune, driven by those pounding, repetitive drums. (If you don't have a great rhythm section in a band, your not really gonna be able to scale the heights of rock 'n roll!). Not my most favorite track, but it will grow on me eventually.
5) "Now your gone" This ballad starts out with the usual machines slow burning intro, then hey, surprise! kicks up a gear or 2 at-you guessed it-the ubiquitous 1.30 mark. But it absolutely comes alive at this point, with a searing lead guitar line, and Brandon's passionate vocal propelling this stunner into the stratosphere.
6) "The Walls are starting to crack" Again, another slow starting ballad which-guess what? yep, your on the money! that bloody 1.30 mark, again...However the true prog influences really kick in at the 4 min point with a scorching synth blast, dynamic lead/melody guitars, some guest backing vocalists wailing away for a short while, before fading out ever so quietly.
7) "I never thought to ask" Easily, this is, A) my favourite track & B) THE most "Proggy" of all these tracks. Beautiful chiming acoustic guitar, spooky/spacey keyboards, soaring reverb drenched vocal, all add up to create one of their most gorgeous atmospheric track's recorded thus far. Reminds me very much of something that an Italian/European group would have recorded in the late 60's/early 70's!
8) "The fire is Waiting" A pulsating, grinding and totally overblown symphonic masterpiece that is just dazzling! Very much a companion piece to the previous track. In fact, this proves just how crucial track sequencing is in trying to make a recording flow and sound as though there's a sort of logical order. Perfect ending to a great record. (And it's the longest track as well, clocking in at very respectable 11 minutes plus!).
This is the 3rd album from this Brooklyn based Group, and the first minus one of the Curtis brothers (Benjamin-who left in March 2007). Any fears that this might have had a destabilizing effect, were thankfully, unfounded. Perhaps freed from constraints & expectations, the revamped line-up (newbie guitarist Phil Karnats) produce easily their most progressive-and dare I say it-best album yet.
Already looking forward to the next one...
Better than before November 14, 2008
I was very worried when I first heard that Benjamin was leaving the band. I was concerned that the band was over even if they decided to continue on. I thought they would go the way of my favorite band, Clann Zu. Thankfully, they continued on, and I must truly say, no offense to Ben, but this is my favorite Secret Machines CD to date. It's a really freaking good album. My only minor gripe is that they didn't add "Dreaming of Dreaming" to the album. Go download it for free if you want to get a feel for the band.
Very solid with many flavors October 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I listened to this CD at least 6 times before writing this review. I'm glad I did. It takes a few listens to really digest. I don't think it's fair to compare a group's new CD to their earlier works (too much anyway). Many people tend to want to hear the past, slightly re-cycled and "upgraded."
I think this CD has it's own unique flavor so to speak, just as the two previous ones have (I'm not familiar with their first yet). That's why Secret Machines is one of my top 5 favorite current groups.
That being said, I think this CD has many shades, colors and moods. Not only from track to track, but within the tracks themselves. I will call it my favorite, but that may be because it's the newest to my ears. If you are a fan of Secret Machines, then I believe they deliver and progress to new territory on this one.
I purchased this CD on the first day of release and I can't (don't want to) pull if from the CD player! It really grows on you!!!
YEs October 21, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
2 things about this record.
1. Atomic Heels and underneath the Concrete
2. Everything else
1. I like atomic heels and it's very cute. The shuddering rhythm, and simplistic approach to changes is nice. Nice.
Atomic Heels is the tether to ten silver drops, a good record that has grown. I mean when you first listen to ten silver drops you thought it was ok. After some time and a more critical look, it became better. I like ten silver drops fine, it's a great record. It's not the first album, which from the 9 minutes monster to the very sublime end was legendary. It was the call to something new. It wasn't a burning building, it was a burning village. underneath the concrete is a better, tight pop song to me.
2. Now the third record. The fire is waiting is an ode to the 70's. it's driving in a 72 Mustang and smoking a joint and finding out that god exists as you and a couple of friends are parked on the beach. It's so huge and earth crumbling that you cannot help but wonder if there is something else beyond you.
the walls, and now your gone is simply great song writing.
The Secret Machines are not tongue and cheek goofy like Stephen Malkmus, or as masturbation enthralled as Mars Volta, but it's the grandness of pink Floyd, it's the vastness of My Bloody Valentine, it's the knee quake of OK Computer.
This album is there best. It's mature, simple, full of sadness, dripping with joy and at times beautiful
 The Secret Machines - Secret Machines 5/10 October 15, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Losing one half of the brother duo that founded psychedelic space-rock outfit the Secret Machines didn't stop remaining brother Brandon Curtis and third founding member Josh Garza from continuing on with their Led Zeppelin-worshipping ways on their self-titled third record. Secret Machines, despite the exit of guitarist Benjamin Curtis, sounds much the same as their previous two records did, and while maintaining the polished production of Ten Silver Drops and the heavy, thudding sonic assault of their debut, it somehow loses a little of both in the end result.
The album starts off promisingly with the stomping "Atomic Heels," which has a scorching guitar riff to go along with one of their most accessible psych-pop products yet. "Last Believer, Drop Dead" is less catchy and more grounded in the barrage of spacey guitar that has characterized their sound, but while taking a while to develop, pays off with a ringing, wall-of-sound style solo at the end.
From there, however, things start to get a little same-y. "Haven I Run Out" is plodding and musically muddy, and its seven-and-a-half minute length rapidly becomes tiresome, especially with a pointless guitar freakout that goes nowhere. Vocalist Brandon Curtis sounds more bored than anything else on "Underneath The Concrete" despite the intriguing melody, and the song's ending is anticlimactic.
The following two songs up the ante a little bit, luckily breaking up the prog-rock monotony first with a catchy, energetic performance by Curtis on the multi-tracked wizardry of "Now You're Gone." and the decidedly odd "The Walls Are Starting To Crack" starts off like a slow jam space opera before surprising with a cosmic roar of guitar power halfway through a bizarre instrumental break that calls to mind both Alice and Wonderland and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Alas, the Secret Machines fall prey to the cliches of their genre on the last couple of songs, the first being an ill-advised psychedelic ballad that swallows itself in waves of reverb and the latter being a way-too-long (11+ minutes) jam no doubt meant to close the album in grand fashion. Instead, it falters along one too many instrumental paths and never reaches a truly satisfactory ending for a track of its size.
While the Secret Machines have dealt with their fair share of bad luck over the years (Benjamin quitting, poor commercial success vs. critical acclaim), the window of opportunity is rapidly closing for a band that has made few deviations to its sound over the years. Secret Machines is the kind of record that will continue to please the band's fans, but won't exactly be making any groundbreaking waves in the industry over the next few months.
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