Reviewed by Kit Burns
Feed the Need/Feed the Need
Feed the Need is a promising group of youthful musicians from New York. Unlike most other acts their age, Feed the Need look to older bands for inspiration and pretty much ignore the likes of Blink-182 and their pop-punk contemporaries. If Feed the Need can be compared to any contemporary act, it might be 311 minus the hip-hop flavas (replace the rap beats with ska and surf spice). The multi-part vocal harmonies of “Ride the Wave” suggest early R.E.M. but that might be pushing it considering how young these guys are.
“Ride the Wave” has a jazzy, laid-back groove that sets the band’s trademark style. The group continually produces highly melodic tunes throughout the CD that aim for the tunefulness of the Beatles, especially “In Flight” and “Sooner Than Later.” Two covers appear, Sugar Ray’s “Someday” and U2′s “Beautiful Day.” The Sugar Ray track is not much of a surprise; Feed the Need shares their sun-drenched island vibe although I’m not sure if the band is yet ready to reach the heights of U2 sonically yet. To the group’s credit, it’s their original material I keep returning to instead of the makeovers.
