THE STEPFORD FIVE

Okay. Imagine the musical backing of Dinosaur Jr., with Mike Ness trying to harmonize vocals over top of it. Can you hear it in your head? Well, that’s sort of what you get with The Stepford Five. Some other writer, named Frank Esposito, said, “They’re Bush with guts and soul…” Take that for what it’s worth. I wouldn’t exactly call it a good reference, for the band’s sake, but it’s pretty right on. The Stepford Five are a nice change to the Columbus-based music I usually review in that these guys are actually good. There is a distinct sincerity to the effort and energy of the band’s sound, and they don’t come off as being too contrived or over produced. In fact, the band’s biggest plus is that they sound nice and stripped-down to essential guitars and percussion rhythms. Only occasionally is the listener confused by extraneous sounds of keyboards and other miscellaneous instruments. The Stepford Five’s self-encouraged music style, “guitar rock,” fits nicely, and my earlier reference to Dinosaur Jr. repeats itself throughout the entire album. So anyone with a fetish for moody and heavy guitar tracks will find this band a nice addition to their listening collection. By the time you read this article you will have unfortunately missed several chances to see the band live, but you can find out more touring dates by visiting stepfordfive.com or by emailing them at info@stepfordfive.com.