When the first track of Verona Grove’s, “The Story Thought Over” blasted out of my car speakers, I was quickly reminded of another review I recently wrote. Quickly, however, I realized that while the vocals were very Starting-Line, Homegrown, etc. etc. there was something far more interesting going on. The music was good, really good.
As the CD continued I realized just how off base my initial reaction was, “The Story Thought Over” is what a power pop album should be: at times loud, at times melodramatically slow and at all times insanely enjoyable.
Comprised of Tony Anders (vocals, guitar), Charlie Wilhelm (bass) and Josh Helm (drums) Verona Grove moved from Oshkosh, WI and wound up in the so-not-the-state-of-the-badger Los Angeles, CA. This transition proved to be the inspiration for much of the album.
“A lot of the songs are about a dream.” Anders stated, “Everyone’s got an idea of where they want to be someday and what they want to do. For me it was happening. We got this record deal, now we were in LA and I never could have dreamed that, but here it is. I think that’s what a lot of the writing focused on.”
Like dreams, the album moves in interesting directions. Each track constantly surprises; truly refreshing from a band within a genre that seems to frequently disappoint with the expected chords, bass lines and monosyllabic lyrics.
Not only is the entire album unpredictable in the best way, each song is a great track in its own right. Whether it’s the slow paced retrospective “Revolution,” the electronically-induced “Goodbye Surrender,” the somber “Chances” or the radio-ready “No Words to Say,” “The Story Thought Over” is one download-worthy song after the other.
Much of the cohesiveness and brilliance of “The Story Thought Over” can be attributed to producer Jamie Arentzen, guitarist of the rock band American Hi-Fi. The mix of Arentzen’s music experience and long-proven talent alongside the highly motivated best friends and band mates from Wisconsin turned into a brilliant collaborative effort. After two months in the studio, “The Story Thought Over” was finally born and what a handsome baby it turned out to be!
While I am certainly not the biggest fan of the power-pop/rock genre, Verona Grove has proven to me that there is something to this kind of music after all. When done well, really well, it breaks through the whining-pining-white-boy mold and becomes something exciting and exhilarating: good music.
Not quite ready to splurge on the whole CD? Download these tracks and get a taste of Verona Grove: “Revolution,” “Chances,” “Goodbye Surrender.”
Photo By: Audrey_Sel
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