Ricky Valente – Loveless Letters / 2007 Self / 7 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/rickyvalente / Reviewed 06 April 2007

First off, do I really want to see half-clothed Cupid junk on front of your CD? Survey says, no. However, this isn’t about your CD art but the music present on said CD. The first track on this EP is “The Borderline”, and the general sound of the track blends together rock with emo and a number of other styles to eventually come up with the style of music that Valente is looking for. The vocals are dominant during this track, and while they do not dwarf any other part of the band, they are at a focal point throughout.

It is only when the guitars and drums finally kick in during the second half of “The Borderline” that this trend changes. The insertion of instrumentation into this track is needed, even if the vocals move into a slightly-distorted style at points. The repetition of the guitars and drums are something that should be varied up for the next release, as it seems as if the guitars particularly are fine working on the same overall sound for a little too long. Just listen to the chorus for this; I can understand if a band was to create a distinct sound, but Ricky Valente lasts a little too long with the guitars on the track. Similarly, the guitar solo, while furious and fun to listen to, is not immune to this stylistic particularity. While the introduction is one of the longest tracks on the CD, Ricky Valente is smart enough to allow a compelling instrumentation to dominate throughout.

This has the effect of allowing the track to go back much quicker. The next few tracks have only about half the runtime as this introductory track, and provide listeners with something that is completely different. The emotional content of the first part of “A Shadow on the Wall” is easily equivalent to the earliest instrumental Metallica tracks (and seems stylistically to mesh with one of their later tracks, “Nothing Else Matters”. The vocals come in in a very weak and tender way, which makes sense for the track; the band seems to have gotten their quirks worked out by this segment on the disc. Ricky Valente provides an interesting interpretation for rock; this is nt anything that individuals have heard before. While there are definitely issues to be corrected before a full-length can be released, there is at least a kernel of ability that the band coalesces around. Pick up their next album.

Top Track: A Shadow On The Wall Pt. 2

Rating: 5.2/10

[JMcQ]