better than typical pop rock

Vulture(57 Records/550 Music)

3 Lb. Thrill

By Laura Karnes

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about whether or not I would be able to listen to this entire CD without getting bored in the middle of it. In general, my musical tastes tend to run on the heavier side; but I try to keep an open mind. In this case, I'm glad I did.

Vulture is a thirteen song CD of mostly radio-friendly pop rock, but it's definitely better than the typical stuff heard on the radio around these parts. What caught my attention on this debut from 3 Lb. Thrill was the variety. While staying in the pop rock vein, each song has a different feel to it.

The CD opens with the mellow-ish rocker "Born Again," then things get a little heavier with the radio popular "Diana." Nice work from bassist Bill Decker on this song too. The CD picks up again with the catchy "Baby Comes Clean" but slows down with the next couple of songs.

I was not impressed with track number six, titled "Jeff's Fast One." It's an upbeat tune, but it reminded me too much of early R.E.M. I was back into the music again though when I heard the very pretty "Something Will Come," a slow, moody song with a lot of emotion to it.

The rest of the CD pretty much stays in that pop music mode, finishing with "Piñata," which has a surprisingly industrial sound to it, considering that the title refers to a Mexican party tradition.

Although a little light for me, Vulture is a very impressive CD, especially for a debut project. I will be interested in seeing if 3 Lb. Thrill can keep up the good work on the next one.