24E - From Stagger To Wind Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 10.07.2007
24E has burst onto the music scene with their debut From Stagger To Wind. Does this four-piece from Southern California have what it takes to make it big in rock music?
The Band
Chad “Cblime” Fergerstrom-Lead Vocals, Guitar
Travis Tingley-Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steve Adler-Bass, Backing Vocals
Brian Auer-Drums, Backing Vocals
The Track Listing
1. She Moves Me-4:16
2. Deeper-4:48
3. Love Is-3:21
4. Can’t Let Go-3:55
5. Dirt Love Song-3:38
6. I Can’t Read My Mind-3:52
7. Unfold-5:42
8. Falling Down-5:04
9. Walk Away-4:19
10. I’ll Wait For Never-4:54
11. I Don’t Know What You Want From Me-3:55
The Review
To me, the treatment of rock music in the mainstream is laughable. For bands, it’s all about loudness, clear production, and singles. God, it all seems to be about the single, the song that will allow the record label to get the band across and people out to the record stores. Up and coming bands are looking for that coveted song that could make them millionaires someday.
When did the philosophy of making music for the sake of music disappear? That’s my big question. As I listened to 24E’s From Stagger To Wind, I realized that bands like 24E are hard to find these days. This four-piece from California isn’t trying to make loud music or throw some random breakdowns that have nothing to do with the song. From Stagger To Wind is an album that takes its time and sets the mood properly for the listener.
If you listen to the first song, “She Moves Me,” you might get a false idea of where the album is going. The song starts with a catchy riff, slow-burning verses, and heavier choruses. The song is good, but not a real indication of how the album is going to be. It reminds me of Switchfoot’s The Beautiful Letdown. That album had a heavy song in “Meant To Live.” However, the rest of the album wasn’t even musically close to the first single. 24E pulls the same trick out of their hats.
“Deeper” is a slower track that introduces musical elements that appear throughout the album. In the background, there are slowly played keys from a lonely keyboard. The acoustic guitar creeps its way through the background. The chorus does pick up the tempo, but the album takes its time to build up to a melodic and satisfying conclusion.
The rest of the album continues by combining different styles together. “Love Is” is a softer song that uses the acoustic guitar/piano combo to drive the main melody. “Can’t Let Go” is a song that takes over half its length to really get going. The bass is right up front in the mix and Cblime sings over a single acoustic guitar with minimal band interference. Once the band comes in, the song picks up and an melodic solo finishes the song on a high note.
The first half has its highpoints, but the second half shows the band really showing off their influences and talent for melody. “Unfold,” the longest song on the album, is an example of 24E showing their influences. The verses sound like something the Eagles could have written 30 years ago and the instrumental section with just bass, drums, and piano is very 70’s sounding.
“Falling Down” is the piano ballad of the album. Is it cheesy? Yeah, a little bit. Damn if 24E didn’t do a good job on it though. The piano really stands at the beginning and end of the song. Cblime really belts out those vocals and the band gets some nice backing vocals in the chorus.
The most interesting song on the second half of the record is definitely “I’ll Wait For Never.” The song is country-sounding with some Southern licks played on the guitar and emotional lyrics about a lost love. The solo on this song is not only Southern-influenced, but the best one on the album as it changes from soft to loud on the dime.
Chad “Cblime” Fergerstrom does a good job on vocals. While sounding a bit too much like Mick Jagger at times, Cblime does stand out in most of his songs with his soft-spoken way of singing. His guitar playing is good as well, mostly being a lot of the acoustic work that is present throughout From Stagger To Wind. He also plays piano on “Falling Down,” which he does a great job with.
Travis Tingley gets a chance to shine on From Stagger To Wind, and when he does, he really shows off. His guitar work is subtle, yet still exciting. While it would have been nice to see him actually let loose a bit more on the guitar, he still puts in a valuable performance.
Steve Adler's bass work is up in the mix and clearly audible. He only gets a few parts to himself to show off (“Unfold”). Brian Auer keeps the beat going, but that’s about it. He has a few fills here and there, but nothing too special.
From Stagger To Wind is a great debut for this young band. 24E shows the right mix of melody, mood, and atmosphere. Not every song is a classic, but the band seems to put 100% effort into every song. I would’ve liked to have seen more songs in the vein of “She Moves Me,” with its infectious chorus and foot tapping-riff. Fans of alternative rock who don’t mind a more moody and slower pace will find a lot to enjoy about 24E’s debut, From Stagger To Wind.
The 411: I enjoyed this album a great deal. From Stagger To Wind is an album that takes it time and doesn't throw riff after riff at the listener. That is a refreshing change of pace from all the dime-a-dozen rock bands out there today. 24E shows a lot of promise with their debut, and hopefully, music fans will see that as well.
