weekender cd review by michael faillace

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From The Weekender, 3/9/2000
Like it Loud - CD Spin
by Michael Faillace, Ass. Editor

The Morgans Project is a constantly evolving example of what happens when you give acoustic guitars to a pair of brothers raised on punk rock and old school hip hop.

The core of The Morgans Project - brothers Jesse and Jay Morgans - are long time staples of the local music community and have been known by a variety of collective names throughout the years. Names like Soughwuttt and Shedding Blue have carried the duo, despite the constantly revolving lineup of musicians flanking them.

The Morgans Project's acoustic series, which began as a one time event, has now become the sole focus of the group and is their most impressive work to date. Emotion laced and soulful lyrics bonded to creative acoustic styling fuel the tracks on the band's debut indie CD, Nothing Should Happen Ever.

While team Morgans has a variety of tapes recorded during their younger years under different names, this is the first mass produced collection available of the exclusive works of The Morgans Project. The eight song compilation predominantly features Jesse and Jay on acoustic guitar with a soulful Jay handling lead vocals and the refreshingly serene Jesse pulling backup duties.

Nothing Should Happen Ever kicks off with one of the more uptempo selections from the CD, Curb Bite. Named after the memorable scene from American History X (those of you who have seen the movie will remember this particularly disturbing scene), this version of Curb Bite was originally recorded live at The Cafe Metropolis. Using unexpected pace changes and a rolling chorus, this track is a prime example of the epic storylines (Jay) Morgans is able to compress into a three minute song.

The CD progresses into Buttercup-Tonight , the initial half being a soothing instrumental featuring Morgans Project collaborator Todd Kopec on violin. The guitar and violin chords mesh together into a beautiful harmony which eventually blends into the powerful verse of Tonight. Tonight climaxes after a brief silence with a very tense duel of sorts between vocals and violin that must be heard to be appreciated.

Wind Still Sails, an unconventional song that doesn't follow any type of standard structure, is a darker selection than most. An eerie whistling rings at key points throughout Wind Still Sails; through the mellow whisper, the song embraces in it's closing minute.

Soft and sweet vocalist Terez Plummer of Salmon Herb Recipe makes a special appearance on vocals on Four Days. Angelic and precise are Plummer's vocals throughout the track, sounding more like a softly strummed harp than a vocal presence. The song, which was written by Plummer, fits into the musical scope of the CD well considering the drastic change in style.

The tracks Lay Your Troubles Down On Me and In Your Rain follow and lead into the CD's bread and butter - the exceptionally well done Seven.

In my eyes, this song embodies everything The Morgans Project does well. The song title and lyrics reflect a peek into the mind of a person with multiple personalities. The track features seven different voice tracks laid over one another (one for each personality) which may sound confusing at first - but is done so well that the lyrics flow together effortlessly as one. Seven's insightful lyrics and radio worthy chorus set this track aside from the others on Nothing Should Happen Ever - which is no easy task.

The CD closes with Papa's Coming Home, an emotional saga about fathers and the strength children find in their mother. A rare and touching selection with an incredible lead riff, Papa's Coming Home is the perfect way to end the roller coaster ride of emotions and melodies Nothing Should Happen Ever takes you through. Nothing Should Happen Ever doubles as a multimedia disc when inserted into a computer, offering song lyrics, a complete library of the CD's songs in mp3 format as well as an mp3 player and other goodies. The CD is available for sale on-line at www.mp3.com/themorgansproject or direct through The Morgans Project by e-mailing Jay at jay@themorgansproject.com. Point your browser to www.themorgansproject.com for more information.