Streetlight Manifesto has been a band surrounded by buzz for
years simply for their eclectic and distinct sound; thus, the drama surrounding
the release of The Hands that Thieve,
their latest studio album, has only added to the hype. Between release dates
being repeatedly pushed back[1]
and the record label’s initial refusal to release copies of the album to the
band[2],
the release of this record seemed a miracle. Yet, like all miracles, The Hands that Thieve provides a sense
of beauty, appreciation and connection that few pieces of art are able to
approach—put shortly, the wait was certainly worth it.
To manage three musicians into a cohesive unit is often
considered a challenge, yet Streetlight Manifesto’s seven members seamlessly
connect in their composition efforts, as is apparent in every moment of The Hands that Thieve. One listen makes
it apparent that every note, every snare hit, every pick slide has been
tailored to fit each song exactly. The horn harmonies alone are so seamless
that creating them must have taken months. From the time signature changes in “The
Three of Us” to the plethora of syncopated hits in “Your Day Will Come,” it is
obvious that Streetlight Manifesto is a musically cohesive unit who takes every
composition seriously, refusing to put out a product that is any less than
perfect, even if it takes almost a year of rewriting and mixing.
The music of Streetlight Manifesto is not only tight but
ridiculously diverse. Although the band is often lumped into the genre of ska,
despite Tomas Kalnoky’s assertions that ska is a very small influence on the
music of Streetlight,[3]
their sound is infinitely more complex and varied to pin them down into one
genre. The feel of the tunes on The Hands
that Thieve ranges anywhere from punk rock to latin to acoustic pop to
folk, yet every moment has Streetlight’s signature all over it. The four-piece
horn section that this band sports furthers their exploration into new sounds,
and adds a depth and harmony that all other acts lack. Furthermore, while the
record is predominantly up-tempo and energetic, when the band decides to pull
it back or break it down, their music never loses the energy that is synonymous
with the band’s name.
One tune on this record that has imprisoned my musical attention
is “Ungrateful,” the second track on the album. Fooling the listener with a
gentle and quiet opening, this song invites a circle pit more than any other on
The Hands that Thieve. Chris
Thatcher’s powerful beats drive the song through tempo and feel changes, making
the energy of the song seem to reflect the uncertainty of the lyrics. Tomas
rips through the vocals on the verse, the words almost piling on top of each
other, before the entire band joins in for the chorus. Every part of this tune
is frantic and yet controlled, and none more so than the low-end stylings of
Pete McCullough, whose fingers must be raw after playing this song. He tears up
the fretboard of his bass in the bridge, running through a walking line that is
so fast the rest of band must struggle to keep up. Easily the most energetic
tune on the record, “Ungrateful” captures both the pure enthusiasm and natural
energy of the sleek orchestra that is Streetlight Manifesto.
The musicality of this record is further complemented by
Tomas Kalnoky’s lyrics. Although some of the tunes, such as “Oh Me Oh My” and
“With Any Sort of Certainty” seem to feature verse that is convoluted or
unexplored, for the most part, this record features some extreme and powerful
poetry. Tomas Kalnoky chooses his words very carefully, creating images that we
can both picture in our heads and sing along with. Much of the language of the
record alludes to religious ideas and themes: in “Toe to Toe” the story of
David and Goliath is referenced, while in “They Broke Him Down” we are given
the image of angels watching people drown in a deluge. This religious imagery
is often paired with the ideas of uncertainty and mystery, as Tomas brings into
question the reliability of belief, and connects with the most prominent
lyrical theme of the record: having to go it alone.
The idea of inevitable self-reliance is visited in virtually
every song on the record, asserting that the only help worth having is
self-help, and that at one point, we will only have ourselves to rely on. Kalnoky
explores this idea in an earthly sense in the song “If Only for Memories,” a
testament to every man’s departure from the reliance of childhood into the
terrifying undefined future of an adult. With this song, Kalnoky takes the idea
of “going it alone” to a most personal level, referencing the moment when every
child decides to leave the nest and strike out on his own. Kalnoky brilliantly
paints the deep love rooted in family, remarking that “No one will ever know / A love as
pure as the one that you felt right then;”[4]yet
always there is that consciousness that the world is wider than the backyard, which
he addresses in the second verse, remarking that “you can’t help thinking / Oh,
there’s gotta be some more to do,” leading to the realization that “everything
you want won’t come to you / You realize now that you’ve gotta go see this
through.”[5]
With “If Only for Memories,” Kalnoky captures the terror every person feels as
they cut the umbilical cord, while assuring us that every broken bone, no
matter how “meant to be,” will indeed heal, and lead to something more
beautiful and breathtaking.
With
The Hands that Thieve, Streetlight
Manifesto has again set the musical bar miles high. Every tune on this record
has been developed to its full potential, making the record as a whole a sonic
powerhouse. My only possible complaint is that Mike Brown's bari-sax seems a bit buried in the mix, a complaint hardly worthy of airing in the presence of this incredible effort. The Hands that Thieve is
well worth a listen, and if you find yourself digging these tunes as much as I
have, you might consider seeking out a bootleg copy of the unauthorized accompanying
album[6],
Toh Kay’s The Hand that Thieves, for
a completely different but no less incredible take on these master
compositions.
Tunes to Check Out:
1) They Broke Him Down
2) Ungrateful
3) If Only For Memories
Tunes to Check Out:
1) They Broke Him Down
2) Ungrateful
3) If Only For Memories
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