The Impact News

Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Chris Wilcock Reggie and the Full Effect sat down to chat with The Impact.

For those who are uneducated in the matter of Reggie and the Full Effect, it can be a bit overwhelming and often leave people scratching their heads in confusion. For those in the know, however, Reggie is one of the catchiest bands around and is credited with often performing the most entertaining live show ever.
Reggie and the Full Effect is the result of one man Get Up Kids Keyboardist and former Coalesce drummer, James Dewees. What started as a solo side project has now become the main project. Along with Reggie and the Full Effect come the band's two alter egos, the British pop band Fluxuation and the Finnish metal band Common Denominator (which both appear on the bands albums and can also be seen on tour).
With the release of the bands fourth and latest album, Songs Not to Get Married To, on Vagrant Records, The Impact got a chance to give an early review of the album as well as catch up with the legend himself while at a recent tour stop in Nashville.
For anyone who has heard or been a fan of the band before, they will notice a difference in their latest album from the second that track one begins. This is a much more heavy, personal and serious album coming from a man who has previously released songs about happy chickens and dwarf invasions. The inspiration for this change came from James' personal issues stemming from a recent divorce from his wife. Most of the albums subject matter is a direct result of this, yet it still sounds unmistakably like the classic sound of Reggie and the Full Effect. In fact, something any Reggie fan would never think could be possible is that the few joke tracks on the CD seem out of place and almost forced as if they needed to be there to satisfy the fans.
Standout tracks on the album include the first single "Get Well Soon" an awesome song with an intro beat that will become ingrained in your skull for weeks, the surprisingly upbeat "Take me Home, Please," "Thanks For the Misery", a song guaranteed to pull a tear, and the albums brightest spot, "Caving", an all-out-cards-on-the-table attack against his ex- wife.
All in all, although this marks somewhat of a departure from the sound fans may expect, this CD is solid from front to back and is the finest this band has put out. It is definitely recommended for anyone who isn't already familiar with the band. This is definitely a contender for top albums of the year.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools