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dramacomicTo those naysayers who say that commercial radio stations play nothing but the same songs over and over, you may be correct at this point in time, but even as late as 1997, commercial radio stations had a greater tendency to add less trendy songs to their playlists, possibly due to the fact that people were not legally or illegally downloading these songs in mass numbers. One of these lesser noticed ditties called itself "Wash It Away" by a band called Black Lab. Little else was known about the band (to me) other than the fact that their singer was a bit more ambitious than many of his contemporaries, with the exception of perhaps Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, a band with whom Black Lab would eventually tour. Having heard the song on a couple of occasions and seeing the album available in a Columbia House catalog for free (with purchase), I decided to give it a gamble. It is this caprice that has led me to my current happy collection of hundreds of albums, and in this instance, it was a risk that yielded exceptional results.
Upon a bit of research, it appeared that the singer Paul Durham was responsible for a large portion of the instruments as well as the vocals. Similar to Stabbing Westward or Filter, if Black Lab never went on tour, they could feasibly have been labeled a one man band. Remarkable to think of one person creating such a rich experience, but the lyrics and general tone are indicative of an individual. Certainly Black Lab's ambitions were not to be the stadium headliners, but to create an equally enriching experience.
Beginning with single "Wash It Away", Your Body Above Me journeys through an ethereal swirl of love songs, from the somber "She Loves Me" to the gritty "Can't Keep the Rain" to the dark and arresting "Ten Million Years". Lyrics to songs such as "Time Ago" immediately invokes a relationship you have had, and a closer such as "Gates of the Country" invokes a break up, but much more intellilgently executed than say, the average pop song. Each song is extensively prepared, to the point where listeners know that Durham is not making any mistakes. The buildup and climactic energy behind the track "Anything" proves just that.
Although it was Matchbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind leading the pack as the nineties wore on, and although it has been ten years since the release of Your Body Above Me with only one proper Black Lab follow up album, there is still something undeniably transcendent about the album, making it perhaps the best undeservedly overlooked albums of the decade.
Upon a bit of research, it appeared that the singer Paul Durham was responsible for a large portion of the instruments as well as the vocals. Similar to Stabbing Westward or Filter, if Black Lab never went on tour, they could feasibly have been labeled a one man band. Remarkable to think of one person creating such a rich experience, but the lyrics and general tone are indicative of an individual. Certainly Black Lab's ambitions were not to be the stadium headliners, but to create an equally enriching experience.
Beginning with single "Wash It Away", Your Body Above Me journeys through an ethereal swirl of love songs, from the somber "She Loves Me" to the gritty "Can't Keep the Rain" to the dark and arresting "Ten Million Years". Lyrics to songs such as "Time Ago" immediately invokes a relationship you have had, and a closer such as "Gates of the Country" invokes a break up, but much more intellilgently executed than say, the average pop song. Each song is extensively prepared, to the point where listeners know that Durham is not making any mistakes. The buildup and climactic energy behind the track "Anything" proves just that.
Although it was Matchbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind leading the pack as the nineties wore on, and although it has been ten years since the release of Your Body Above Me with only one proper Black Lab follow up album, there is still something undeniably transcendent about the album, making it perhaps the best undeservedly overlooked albums of the decade.
