Strange Celebrity – Remedy 
by Keavin Wiggins

Strange Celebrity – Remedy
Label: Warner Bros
Rating: 
 

Tracks: Free If I Back To Life I Can't Breathe Someday Ruin Dangerous Control Rise Paralyzed Perfect World

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Modern rock is alive and well and has a new champion in the form of Strange Celebrity.  Though they have gone relatively unnoticed up to this point, despite having a major label debut, they do have almost all the elements in place to explode into the mainstream and make some major waves. 

Strange Celebrity tap into the same formula that brought Tonic so much success; edgy but smooth guitars mixed with melodic vocals, loaded with plenty of hooks.  They aren’t quite as “grungy” as say Nickelback, but should appeal to the same fans. On the other hand, take away the guitar driven tracks and you have the makings of a pop group. 

Although they are a “Christian” band, they don’t go overboard and beat you too hard over the head with their “message”. You really have to look for it in most cases. In that respect, and also to lesser extent musically they are similar to Switchfoot, especially on the slower songs. 

The album alternates between the guitar driven numbers and ballads. They really shine on the ladder. So if either is your cup of tea then this would be an appealing listen. 

Strange Celebrity does excel at what they do and they seem comfortable in their chosen genre. But for fans of harder edged rock, this will be a bit too “sugary” and won’t likely change your mind. 

All in all, this album is a solid debut for Strange Celebrity and if given the proper promotion it could easily find a wide mainstream audience, which is exactly what they seem to be aiming for. 

Strange Celebrity is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/guitarist Luke Brown, who began his music career as a member of two different bands while growing up in Chattanooga. While he learned the basic elements of his art and performance from these groups, he was left unfulfilled by the songwriting and musical direction. He began to write songs and flesh out the artistic voice by which he was inspired. By 2001 Brown was based in Nashville and began the songs that have become the roots of Strange Celebrity. One problem remained - while Brown's vision of the band became clearer, he lacked the outstanding bandmembers he needed to see Strange Celebrity come to life.

Through a mutual friend, New Jersey native Rick Wilson heard a copy of Brown's early songs and called Brown the next day. He flew to Nashville and the two jammed together, beginning what would become Strange Celebrity.  Soon after, Wilson moved to town and he and Brown began the search for the rest of the band.

Tracy Ferrie and Quinton Gibson had been long time friends and high-school bandmates in Indiana. While both had moved to Nashville, they pursued live and studio opportunities with different bands and artists. When Brown called Ferrie to play with him and Wilson, Ferrie added a whole new dimension to their sound. As Ferrie caught the vision for the band he brought in Gibson and soon the four were playing together. Luke, Quinton, Tracy and Rick forged a definitive sound greater than the parts each brought. Strange Celebrity had been born. 

As Brown continued to refine his songwriting, he partnered with Nick Trevisick and Danny Wilde - two writer/producers with a history of great songs. They quickly penned their first batch of songs and with this dynamic production duo the band was finally able to put to tape the high energy hit-song rock they envisioned. This initial song demo caught the attention of Warner Brothers Records and lead quickly to the record deal they all desired.

Just when the band thought that the creative mix could not get any better, they began the recording process under the guidance of Warner Brothers AR rep and famed musician Chris Rodriguez. His depth of experience and keen insight into the song selection brought the album to an even higher level. Surrounded by so many talented people the band was able to create a vivid and timeless album.

Brown continued to stretch his abilities and co-produced the first two songs on the album with writing/production partner Chuck Butler. The songs and music intensified the enthusiasm of everyone at the label as Brown captured his musical and lyrical vision in the recordings of "Free" and "If I".

Lyrically their freshman release is far from typical.  Brown's open touch with words gives the songs a sense of character and depth that also contain an unmistakable spiritual edge.  Though certainly not shy about his emotional and spiritual passions, he manages to turn impressive phrases that match the hooky music to create an intriguing sound.  This unique approach can only draw the listener deeper into areas of self-discovery and spiritual seeking, and allow the lyrical explorations to contemplate how responsibilities, choices and actions impact people.

With the album completed, Brown has had time to reflect on the songs he recorded. "This record deals a lot with life's rollercoaster of emotions," says Brown. "It is very relationship based, and is about trying to find out for yourself who you're supposed to be.  Along with that, we also want to plant positive seeds of hope.  There is so much negativity out there and so much music that seems hopeless - we want people to know that there is hope. We keep the music hopeful, and perhaps it will take the place of other music out there that seems hopeless.  We hope that people will see something different in what we are doing."

"We're really anxious to get the music out there," Brown shares.  "At every show we want people to have a good time -  concerts are for the people.  We always give our all for them."  Gibson adds, "I love the reaction we get when we play live - to know that some kind of fire has been lit and that it will stick.  That's why we're doing this, after all."

As the band prepares for their summer release of their debut album, they turn exclusively to their live shows. Considering their influences, Brown feels that "bands like U2, Aerosmith, and the Stones really inspired us to get into our music." Ferrie adds "You have to respect and want to learn from bands that've stayed together for so long, and are still doing what they do with so much musical integrity." With these influences close to their hearts, Luke, Quinton, Tracy and Rick strive every day to become a better band and write better songs.

Whether you experience Strange Celebrity for the first time in their high energy rock show, or are rocked by the songs  "Free", "If I" or "Back To Life", or are drawn into "Someday", a song of hope, you will know that you have discovered a rare band. And through it all, Strange Celebrity remains focused on their vision:

"My ultimate goal in writing songs is simply to connect with people," Brown says, "and I hope that comes across in everything we do."
 
 

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