THE ONLY CHILDREN - CHANGE OF LIVING

I had heard of but never actually heard the now-defunct band known as The Anniversary. But when I read a press release that said The Anniversary was a \"...more substantive band in the category called \'emo\',\" I got shivers. Whiny white boy music is not my bag. So when I read further down the press release and noticed that The Only Children was fronted by the former frontman of The Anniversary, Josh Berwanger, pure dread crept into my heart. Making an ass out of myself, I assumed The Only Children\'s debut release, Change Of Living, would be just another watered-down white boy band, singing about boring and trite shit.
But even though I\'ve never heard a song by The Anniversary, putting the brakes on that band and starting The Only Children may be one of the best things Berwanger has ever done. Because Change Of Living is not whiny white boy music. It\'s got more energy and soul than most music out there.
Part country, part blues, part rock, this album is a beautiful amalgam of many different sounds and influences. The opening track, \"Sky Begins To Storm\", is beautiful country twang. \"West Virginia\" peppers down-home rock with grass roots folk, somewhat in the vein of Wilco. And \"Before It Fades\" is a Rolling Stones-esque, harmonica-laced tune that swaggers and saunters into your eardrums, pushing its way into brain tissue and memory.
And the icing on this cake is Heidi-Lynne Gluck, who provides not only guitar, not only accordion, but also backup vocals that are to Berwanger what Emmylou Harris is to Willie Nelson. Together, these two make beautiful duet love, each person\'s voice wrapping around the other\'s perfectly.
In all, Change Of Living is not a kid album. It takes itself seriously, and the result is some damn fine music. If only all emo bands could snap out of it and make music like this.