Friday, July 03, 2015

Band Review: Derek Bishop


Derek Bishop was disappointing.

There was something in his pictures that showed not only a sense of style, but also indicated energy and edge - maybe it's the way he's balanced on the tire on the cover of Bicycling in Quicksand.

It led me to expect something fun and unpredictable. Instead the music was strangely subdued, like I was listening with the volume too low, but turning it up didn't do anything.

There's nothing wrong with his voice, which I really like, or his skill in performing music. It's not grating; it's just disappointing. It makes me think he might be overproduced. Having a chance to listen to multiple remixes of "Baggage", they all had the same issue.

That being said, "Baggage" was probably my favorite track. "Pack up your baggage from my brain" - who can't relate to that? However, I think "The Last Word" shows the most potential, with rolling piano that felt like it was getting somewhere.

In the music videos, there is more energy, making it possible that his live performances are more interesting, or his performances with other people, which he does sometimes. I can't write him off.

I see many positive reviews posted on his site, so it may just be a matter of taste. Bishop lists his genre as extra-catchy eclecto piano pop.








No comments: