The Pieces

Artist: The Pieces
Label: Benchmark (Soh)
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 827322200327
EAN: 0827322200327
ASIN: B00008NRJH

Release Date: 2003-04-01

The Pieces

Related Categories:

General

| Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock

| Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Neo-Psychedelia

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

That's Why It Is
The Wait
Lauren
Gentlemen And Big Mistakes
I Just Wanna Be Loved
Good Question
What You Want
Soda Machine
Croque Pop
Fireworks (With Report)
The Battle Of Hater Bay
Accept Me

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Amazon.com

The strongest track on the debut release from this three-piece Indianapolis band is "The Wait," an upbeat, retro celebration of new love. While fans of light and airy guitar pop will appreciate the Pieces' spare sound and soothing harmonies, mainstream rock lovers might also embrace the band as one of their own. Bassist Heidi Gluck's vocals have a cool gloss not far from that of Sheryl Crow's, and songwriter Vess Ruhtenberg delivers lyrics with a modesty that belies his capabilities; he gets points for his relaxed, confident style. He's also an unabashed romantic. The touching and beautiful "Accept Me" is a winning statement of love, while the bittersweet sentiments of "Croque Pop" are adorned with brassy bits of saxophone and trumpet. "What You Want" lets the singing duo's vocals shine, and lazy rock guitars drive Ruhtenberg's ruminations on life in Tom Petty-like fashion on "That's Why It Is." <I>--Lorry Fleming</I>

Customer Reviews:

What a pleasant surprise!.......2006-12-02

I'm a Some Girls (another one of Heidi's bands) fan, so when I came across this cd, I had to have it. Having never previously heard The Pieces, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this album was. Although Heidi is only featured as lead vocalist for a few songs, the entire album is great! "Accept Me," is my personal favorite. This is truly a breath of fresh air for the indie music scene. It's a shame they only released one album.

the first review on this page is vapid.......2006-03-04

"The Pieces mix in some clap-happy pop like the vapid "Lauren""

yeah, right! NOT. I've been writing, playing, producing, & mixing records for over 25 years and the pieces' lauren is the single best track I have heard on an indie record in years. my bandmates & I listened to it everyday on tour for weeks. heidi gluck's sublime vocal combined with a catchy song and letter-perfect production (the guitar lick just before the chorus... YES! obviously, someone listened to rubber soul.) on this one song make this record worth owning. soda machine, accept me, and the way it is all deserve mention.

That's why it is?.......2004-08-02

Indianapolis trio The Pieces don't impress from the very start of their debut, kicking off with basic riffs and unimpressive lyrics. While the music comes to life in some of the songs, the overall feeling is that of a band that could be quite good, but isn't interesting enough to be.

The Pieces mix in some clap-happy pop like the vapid "Lauren" with mild guitar rock like the lazy "That's Why It Is." The latter is apparently an exercise in how many times they can sing the title line before the listeners throw chairs. The self-titled album threatens to blossom with grinding retro "The Wait," catchy "Gentlemen and Big Mistakes" and the quirky "I Just Wanna Be Loved," but somehow it never quite gels.

The Pieces are far from bad, but they are also far from good... for the moment. Their sound isn't generic, but it needs to be matured and resculpted before it can really rock out. They're a little bit rock and a little bit country, but they apparently haven't decided which they would rather be.

Vess Ruhtenberg's voice is a pretty standard male pop-rock voice, calm and pensive. Bassist Heidi Gluck adds her own pleasant vocals, leaving a better impression than Ruhtenberg does. And the lyrics... well, "boring" is too basic a word. Lots of love and melancholy, and not a single well-written phrase.

Instrumentally, the Pieces have everything they need for some really wicked rock. There are some strings, some reverberating riffs, low-key piano melodies and some fairly solid percussion that becomes just a little too awkward. But the Pieces don't quite manage to weave these bits of music together into a cohesive whole, and so it feels weirdly fragmented.

The Pieces have promise, but they don't yet manage to get their act together in their self-titled debut. What they have here is pleasant and sweet, but not enough to be memorable.

The Pieces.......2004-05-26

I saw this band open for Evan Dando in Cleveland last summer and I really enjoyed their show, even though we were late and didn't catch the whole act. On a whim I decided to get their CD, and I'm so pleased! Catchy, infectious, enjoyable songs you can feel cool for liking since nobody but you knows them. And currently used for $.98! With any justice this band will continue to gain notoriety and popularity- definately take the chance so that you can say you knew them first.

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