The morning after...

album review

Album: The Morning After…
Band: Corduroy

Our music industry has seen a sudden surge of rock bands in the last few years and, surprising many, bands like EP and Mizraab have managed to gain mainstream recognition. So it appears that the timing is right for underground rock acts to come forth…and Corduroy have done just that by releasing their debut album ‘The Morning After…’.

The band builds on the early 90s grunge sound and actually does a good job at it. (Yes, you have to hear it to believe it.) The album kicks off with the catchy ‘Your Song’ and goes on to reveal tracks like ‘Ground Zero’ that display the more alternative elements of the bands sound. The powerful vocals on ‘Dystemper’ and ‘Blue Chip’ add to the blend of angst-ridden lyrics and some great guitar work, and the lyrical ability to relay emotions shines out in ‘[end]’. The band has even managed to come up with a power ballad in the shape of ‘Prologue’, but ultimately it’s tracks like the Pearl Jam reminiscent ‘Leeway’ and the hard-rock-ish ‘Goddamned’ that offer the best moments of ‘The Morning After…’.

Corduroy not only wrote and composed all the tracks on the record but also produced and engineered the whole thing. (Major DIY enthusiasts, no?) Plus the CD was pressed and distributed independently…and that in itself says a thing or two about the band.The vocals are very powerful throughout the disk, the lyrics swing between deep and downright sarcastic, the album is loaded with some great riffs and guitar solos, and all these things actually complements each other (amazingly enough). But the best thing about ‘The Morning After…’ is that there are no fillers on the album. And although ‘Aas’, the only Urdu track on the set, isn’t exactly something I’d rave about (despite its relative popularity…yeah, maybe it’s just me!), but one thing’s for sure: this little underground band has the potential to make it big. If you like post grunge alternative rock with an edge, then this album is a must buy. And if you don’t, well, buy it anyway. ‘The Morning After…’ will grow on you with every listen.

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 15th October, 2004