M2B – Signs

M2B – Signs / 2006 Self / 8 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/m2btunes / Reviewed 07 November 2006

The way in which “Floating In The Clouds” starts is very sedate. If anything, one can hear the style of acts like Soul Asylum, Blues Traveler, and Rusted Roots in this track. In fact, the band builds their sound specifically on the style of these bands. The opening track is only three minutes long, and the slower tempo of M2B makes the three minute runtime of the song feel more like 4 or 5 minutes. The one thing that the band needs to steer away from is not placing enough material in their tracks to keep individuals interested, even when a number of these tracks fall far short of the four minute mark. The quicker tempo of “I Must Be Dreamer” keeps individuals into M2B, while a slower track could have wrecked any chance that the band could keep individuals seated and attentive.

The tempo of the disc slows down even more than in “Floating In The Clouds” during “Before We Say Goodbye”. M2B again finds their jam band spirit. The track is easily at the level of an act like the Counting Crows, but the band seems to be repeating themselves at certain points during this track. The song could be tightened up if the band added in a little more spicy to their arrangement. With the Edwin McCain-like “Alive On The Road”The EP is only thirty minutes, but again, it is the slower tempo of M2B that makes the disc linger for a longer time than it would normally.

The production of the album is at a professional level, and M2B during tracks like “Out Of Nowhere” do well in adding multiple layers to their general sound. The music that M2B plays is not necessarily adult contemporary, but the laid back style of the band does share a few things with purveyors of that style. The music on “Signs” would be best for individuals that are attempting to chill out after a long day’s work. There may only be eight tracks on this album, but the slower sound of a number of these tracks give the disc a fuller sound than it would be normally. The disc has a specific audience, and I am not sure if the average music fan can see the nuance of the style that M2B plays on this album. Still, I would like to hear more from the act.

Top Tracks: Floating In The Clouds, Where Are You

Rating: 5.2/10

[JMcQ]