Spain Album Review - Between The Trees

Tracklist:
01. We Can Try
02. Spain
03. The One Thing
04. One Last Time (Darlin' II)
05. Story Of A Boy
06. Miss You
07. Move
08. Scarecrow
09. Gentleman
10. Changed By You

We Can Try was the first single released off the album. The intro starts with an instrumental version of the chorus with guitar as the melody and piano as the lyrics. The verses are calm with background drums and piano. The guitar comes in right before the chorus and gives plenty of intensity. The chorus flows extremely well and has gotten stuck in my head many times. The bridge is a great guitar part followed by a great final chorus. This was definitely a perfect choice for the first single. An amazing track to start off one of my favorite albums so far this year.
Spain begins with upbeat keyboard as guitar comes in to accompany it. The verses are definitely a huge contrast to We Can Try. However, the chorus is extremely good. The lyrics and vocals are both amazing. It flows perfectly and as in We Can Try has gotten stuck in my head. It contrasts from the verses in a way that works well. The final chorus builds up intensity as the instruments come in the second time through. Another amazing track.
The One Thing begins acoustically with piano. Between The Trees has definitely created diversity between each song. The verses are very calm and peaceful. Drums give the chorus a little more intensity without totally disrupting the mood. The drums continue on through the chorus along with the verse. The intensity is at its highest during the bridge until it eases off slightly in the chorus. After the first two songs on this album, this one seems only decent. It's a very good song, but pales in comparison to the first ones.
One Last Time begins with another musical difference; the time signature. It's 6/8. Every song to this point has had it's differences from the others. That is what is perfect for a band. Making songs different without losing their general sound. The chorus is what really stands out about the song. There is plenty of intensity while still being sweet. The bridge is a great instrumental part that definitely stands out in the song. This is another great song on the level of the first two tracks.
Story Of A Boy begins with piano driving the lyrics until drums and a little guitar come in. The chorus again stands out in the song. It almost seems like the tempo speeds up. It's much different sounding than the other songs so far. The tempo seems to slow back down at the end to go back to the original pace. The bridge is a piano solo with a little guitar backing it. The song ends with a guitar solo before a final slow singing part. Another great song. 5 songs through and no one song sounds the same.
Miss You is the first song that I don't think is great. I do think the first verse is pretty good however. The unplugged electric guitar sounds very good. However, once the drums come in I become less of a fan of the flow and the vocals. The vocalist however does show off his great range. I'm not a fan of the chorus either. This song just isn't my style in general. However, it does not diminish from the greatness of the album so far.
Move is another song that begins differently. It has a rock/reggae feel with the guitars for the first verse. The bridge to the chorus displays amazing vocals while the chorus is another great chorus in the style of the first two tracks. It is not as good as them though. The bridge is another guitar led segment with decent vocals. Another good song, however it is middle of the pack.
Scarecrow is a slower piano song. The opening sounds like what The Fray wishes they could have done in Never Say Never. The chorus is repetitive but is sweet in its own way. The first chorus fades out with tons of emotion as drums and guitar come in to support. The bridge is great as it is full of emotion and intensity. Another really good song.
Gentleman begins cutely lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. The guitar comes in to add intensity before the chorus. The chorus is fairly good. I'm a fan of several parts of it, but some parts just don't seem to fit for me. The chorus and the verses stick out from each other. The bridge is great although it sounds a little bit like Viva La Vida. The songs still are all totally different. Can the last song keep up the trend?
It does. Changed By You is a slow piano ballad that never adds guitar. The vocals are very good especially during the chorus. The vocalist definitely takes advantage of the slow song to express his voice. It's an extremely good love song that combines the simplistic nature of the piano with the lyrics and vocals. This song is a definite standout song as the only song without guitar in it.
This is probably one of the best albums I have heard. I was never a real fan of Between The Trees. Although I had their last album, it never grew on me. This album has been playing on my ipod for the last few days now. I've played it so often I had to review it. Support the band. Buy the album. Listen to them on myspace HERE.