TRANSIT-CAST - TRANSIT-CAST

Transit-Cast is another band I saw play live the other night.  They're a local Salt Lake band and they opened the Electric Six/In The Whale show.  I wasn't sure what to think about them when they first started.  I had a hard time understanding what they were saying but that was due to the crap sound at the club.  Once I got past that, I thought they were pretty good.

They're not a flashy, over the top sorta group, but they're solid and the members play well together.  The lead singer has a strong tempered voice in the tradition of rock bands.  The biggest difference between this group and the more standard fare metal would be the subject matter they tackle with their lyrics.  The songs of love are taken from a place of devotion.  

The music is pumped up and rockin'!  The disc maintains a strong tempo all the way through and it's enjoyable to listen to.

Now here's where I'm gonna be a little rough with this group...  It's obvious from the music on the disc and the live performance, that these guys are all fairly experienced.  They're great on their instruments and they know what to do.  They play in the pocket together and everything is right in line...  But I feel like the music isn't where it should be.  They're not challenging themselves or breaking any new ground.  With as much experience as they have, they shouldn't be relying on such formulaic songwriting to fill an album.  

I love a lot of their ideas and I think the songs are nice, but they lack that "umph!" a good rock band needs.  Let's take the song 'Bullseye' for example...  It's got a huge amount of potential.  It's got a hook in the guitar bits.  It's a little busy and could be more power chord, more simple, but when the song starts, that hook is played lower in the mix.  It should rage and be right up front.  Everything should bow before it.  The lyrics offer the vocalist a chance to scream, shout, drone or even speak lyrics.  But he sings in the steady voice he's used throughout the entire disc.  There's no variation or change up.  Of all the tracks, this one to me shows the most potential lost in the arrangement.

I think the right producer could challenge this group and get them to kick their game up a notch.  Let's face it, metal singers are a dime a dozen.  You've got guys with great voices singing in their showers and garage bands all over the world.  The groups that cross over or really make it do so because they bring something unique and different to the game.  Both Electric Six and In The Whale do a great deal of work on the vocal arrangements.  In both cases, they've developed a sound that can be associated with them alone.  Transit-Cast hasn't found its voice yet.  But its there.  It really is.

The biggest concern I have for this band is without pushing themselves and their songs, the group can easily sound dated.  If that's what they're trying for then they've captured the 80's hair band sound exactly.  If they're trying to do something new and exciting, it's time to shake things up.

This is a sensible band.  A group of great guys who I'd like to see more of and who I'd like to see do more with their music.

They gave copies of their album out for free at the show.  I think you can get a copy through their facebook page.  Just search for Transit-Cast.  At the end of it all I think this is a great band with a lot of potential.  My final words:  ON THE VERGE OF FINDING THEIR VOICE AND SOUND!  AN INTERESTING DISC WELL WORTH LISTENING TO.

TRANSIT-CAST - TRANSIT-CAST
01. Red Red Roses
02. Beautiful Babies
03. Of Love
04. Come Over
05. The Good Ones
06. Something Out There
07. Disco Chicks
08. Follow Into This
09. Bullseye
10. Maybe
11. Count The Clocks