“The Station Breaks” is the self-titled
debut album of fledgling group the Station Breaks, a musical collaboration
between solo artist Jason Manns, and his two longtime friends, Rob Benedict and
Billy Moran, both members of the popular Indie Rock group Louden Swain. Touted by both Manns and Benedict as a “side
project”, the group has quickly procured a large fan base, both in the United
States and overseas in the United Kingdom, usually playing to sold out crowds.
Rounding out the unique sound of the Station Breaks are bassist Cooper Appelt
and drummer Rob Humphreys, also close friends of Manns’, both having been
featured on his earlier albums, but more importantly, seasoned musicians in
their own right. “The Station Breaks” is the result of a whirlwind year for
Manns, who is currently riding the waves of success for his latest album, “Covers
with Friends”, which hit #8 on iTunes, as well as for Benedict and Moran who
are on the precipice of releasing their seventh album, “No time Like the
Present”, with Swain.
The first track on the album, the Slightest
Thing, opens with a solo guitar riff that can only be the lightning fast
fingers of Billy Moran, setting the bar high for what’s to come. From this very
first track it’s often difficult to discern where Manns’ voice begins and
Benedicts’ ends so seamless are their harmonies. Weaving their voices together
effortlessly, we are pulled into a brand new mix of edgy “Swain” guitar licks
and Manns’ heart and soul lyrical depth
for a distinctive sound that can only be described as “The Station Breaks”, the
group having “broken free”, if you will, of their usual genres to create a
completely new vibe. Even the most diehard Manns fan won’t be disappointed by
his departure from his lighter, ballad style rock, when they hear his unmistakable
vocal range and longevity when it comes to holding the final note, mere
mortals, aka the rest of us are already gasping for breath in anticipation of
his ending the song long before his fermata is complete.
“Gone”, the second song on the album, could
be classified as Country with its catchy lyrics, and toe tapping percussion
pieces provided by the one and only Humphreys, affectionately called “Byrd” by
the rest of the band, but it’s Moran’s musical voice, spoken solely through the
strings of his guitar, that steals the spotlight as the third vocalist, and
solidifying “Gone” as pure Indie gold. I feel the need to take the opportunity
to point out the fact that “Gone” has a special following by certain Station
Breaks fans akin to a cult that revolves exclusively around the lyric “I got a
three Ibuprofen headache” that the casual listener missed entirely, and is now
skipping back tracks to listen to just to see if they can find the lyric in
question.
Dipping into a more subdued tonal
atmosphere, Benedict helms the vocals for the third song “The Rest”, a song
that has a timelessness to it, harkening back to simpler times as Benedict
weaves an emotional tale with his natural soulful rasp. “The Rest” is a
harmonious roller coaster that succinctly combines whining guitar, driving beat,
and melancholy background vocals with Benedict’s impassioned pleas, building
the song into multiple waves of rising passion, before releasing the listener
to float back to reality as the music fades and Benedict’s voice wraps itself
around you like a safety net.
Jumping back into the blended vocal style
that will surly become synonymous with the Station Breaks, Manns and Benedict
balance their harmonies perfectly, neither over powering the other, while Manns
takes the lyrical wheel of “Free”. Despite the fact that the verses of the song
lean toward the darker side of life, the music is uplifting and lighthearted,
removing the harsh elements and beckoning the listener to sing along. Manns’
voice rings out as the light in the darkness inspiring hope and redemption at
the end of the song, like a siren’s call with his amazing aptitude for holding
a dramatically extended note, or what I have since dubbed the “Manns”
note.
“They Ain’t You” is another song that puts
Manns in the vocal spotlight, aside from the perfectly crafted harmonizing with
Benedict, it was also written by Manns. While it carries the traditional feel
of a classic Jason Manns song, especially with the fantastic bass undertones that
give Appelt his own unique voice on the track, it also has the richness of
Moran’s electric guitar mixed with the acoustic that, much like the blending of
voices in the Station Breaks, adds a new depth to Manns’ style of song writing;
and the musical finale to “They Ain’t You” as “voiced” by Moran, Appelt, and
Humphreys is hands down one of the best on the album at spotlighting the
unequivocal talent of this trio. This is the track that will without a doubt
appeal to any diehard Manns fan that for whatever unfathomable reason might not
yet be won over as a Station Breaks fan, bringing them willingly into the fold.
The next song, “Just Walk Away”, starts with
an instrumental piece that washes over the listener like a slow moving stream,
only to be swept up into a vocal storm akin to raging rapids as Manns’ and
Benedict’s voices intermingle succinctly like a well-oiled machine of tempo and
melody, rising and falling in perfectly timed synchronization as the two
seasoned leads switch effortlessly from front man to back-up harmonies and back
again flawlessly. “Just Walk Away” showcases a complete lack of ego, while
baring witness to the enormity of heartfelt pride and steadfast dedication that
both Benedict and Manns breathe into their music collectively.
“Stowaway” is by far and away what I would
define as the Station Breaks ”Rock Anthem”, and justly one of my personal
favorites. Live performances of “Stowaway” usually start with Manns inviting
the crowd to clap along before the entire group electrifies the air with supercharged
guitar licks, heavy hitting percussion, and some of the catchiest lyrics on the
entire album. The most amazing aspect of listening to “Stowaway” in digital
download or cd form is that you lose none of the greatness of the live
performance, the whine of Moran’s guitar, the thrum of bass like a musical
pulse, and the fervent cries of both Manns and Benedict is every bit the
equivalent to experiencing the song live in a small darkened club to the
flicker of stage lights and soft ambiance of glow bracelets.
Slowing the tempo back down is “Not Giving
My Heart Away”, one of three Station Breaks songs composed by guitarist Billy
Moran. I’d like to pause momentarily in my review and take the opportunity to
clarify that both Benedict and Manns play guitar throughout the Station Breaks album,
but if you’re hearing the guitar ringing out like it needs no other
accompaniments , like say vocals, more than likely it’s Moran’s fingertips at
the helm. That being said, “Not Giving My Heart Away” has some truly exceptional
riffs that enhance the dual vocal front, while showcasing Moran’s prowess as a
true “guitar hero”. This is also another track that puts the spot light on the
“should be trademarked” Manns note.
The next song has quickly found its way
into my heart as my favorite Station Breaks song. “Old Neighborhood” is the
type of “back to your roots” song that late greats Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers
made famous back in the day, when Country music wasn’t cool, but everyone
listened and could relate to it because it talked about every day blue collar
life, even if it wasn’t pretty. It’s the type of song that makes the listener
feel just a little bit better about themselves, because it lets us all know
that we aren’t alone in this struggle we call life, even when it’s gritty and
it’s hard, it’s still worth the fight. The amazing opening guitar piece that
repeats throughout “Old Neighborhood” is so unique, really nailing home the
“old school” vibe the song preaches. The first time I heard this tune I felt
like I was listening to Manns for the very first time, and every time
thereafter remains the same.
If you were already a Jason Manns fan, then
you are most likely already a fan of the second to last song on the album,
“Hallelujah”, written by the great Leonard Cohen whom we lost this year. It’s
no secret that “Hallelujah” has been performed by countless artists in a wide
range of contrasting arrangements, for Manns’ own solo album Soul, he stripped
the song down so that the vocals could take center stage. For the Station
Breaks, he and Benedict stuck to that recipe of “simplicity is more” even with
the addition of Benedict’s vocal accompaniment. While the focal point in the
Station Breaks rendition is still predominantly the vocals and lyrics of the
song, which are magical in and of themselves as written by Cohen, but now there’s
just the right expanse of guitar married with a rising and falling percussion
by Humphreys that rolls in like a distant thunder storm, raising gooseflesh as
Manns and Benedict harmonize with infinite grace and combined vocal passion that
creates a hauntingly beautiful performance not soon to be forgotten.
The last song, which is opened to the
percussionist voice of Humphreys, is fronted by Benedict, but again, the
harmonies are so seamless that while Manns is ever present, it’s often
difficult to discern where the two voices overlap, and where each vocalist is
singing solo. The fact that Benedict either wrote or co-wrote the lyrics for every
Station Breaks song including “Autumn Back”, might lead one to think that the
group is simply a lesser form of Louden Swain, but such is not the case at all,
Manns and Benedict have taken the best aspects of their music along with
co-contributor Moran and created something truly exceptional and distinct and
is in no way a diminished version of anything either group has previously
released.
In conclusion, if you are looking for
mainstream music that sounds like everything else on the radio, keep looking,
I’m sure you’ll find something else better suited to your taste; but if you are
looking for the “Little Band that Could” that’s going to turn your world upside
down with out of the box arrangements that are masterfully vocalized by two
exceptional front men that are succinctly back up harmonizers, interlaced with
the best damn guitar licks, bass tones, and percussion around, then by all
means, download or purchase a hard copy of The Station Breaks and get lost in
the best Americana Rock available today.
