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Formats and Editions
1. All The Nights
2. Gone
3. Stay Away From My Heart
4. Nowhere And Everywhere
5. The Irony Of You
6. Before I Sleep
7. Sad Eyed Rose
8. Alive
9. Making Out With Kate
10. Waiting All This Time
11. The Superhero Song
12. These Blues
13. Dreamland (Julia's Song)
More Info:
Cloud Party is back! With songs--from the rock of 'All the Nights' and 'The Irony of You,' to the acoustic Americana of 'Sad Eyed Rose' and 'Stay Away From My Heart,' to the pop of 'Making Out With Kate' and 'The Superhero Song,' with a dollop of the blues thrown in there ('These Blues'), 'The Dying Art of Living' is the band's most mature and eclectic album yet. This one has it all. Having taken some time off, Cloud Party returns with singer/songwriter Jim Speese and guitarist Mark Steffy remaining the heart of the band. Newcomers Kevin Adams, Keith Smoker, Gerry Ronning, and Evelyn Christian bring new perspectives to this project. Adams and Smoker are a formidable rhythm section, while Ronning's punk guitar (and bass) roots add an edge to the songs and Christian's piano and vocals give Cloud Party a requisite pop sensibility. 'The Dying Art of Living' is a tongue-in-cheek title but one that resonates throughout the album. The title is lifted from the song 'Alive' which Speese reportedly write while hiking the Appalachian Trail, imagining his future self remembering his experience. 'I want to live like I'm alive,' he intones, 'every moment, every night.' And songs like 'All the Nights' and 'Nowhere and Everywhere' continue to focus on the efficacy of moments and memory. That said, the album is also fun. 'The Superhero Song' is about trying to find a meaningful life by wanting to be Spiderman (or Superman.) And 'Making Out With Kate' is about, well, just that. Musically the album is eclectic but powerful. 'Gone' may remind listeners of The Clash, while the 'Sad Eyed Rose' brings to mind the elegant simplicity of the Beatles' 'Norwegian Wood.' And of course, given Steffy's superb playing throughout, one can hear echoes of Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, and even Buddy Guy. Steffy is restrained on this album, but he's also never sounded better. A master of playing the 'right' note, rather than a lot of extraneous ones, Steffy allows these songs to breathe. Speese's voice, too, exhibits an ease that comes with time. Filled with character, his voice in turn resonates with loss, anger, resignation and a child-like sense of wonder. The album ends with a beautiful acoustic lullaby, 'Dreamland (Julia's Song)': 'If you close your eyes / I'll sing a lullaby / And fill it with stars' sings Speese over Steffy's acoustic stylings (and musical guest Max Watkins' cello(!)) This is the image 'The Dying Art of Living' leaves the listener with--music that is evocative and powerful. As writer Don Botch notes in the Reading (PA) Eagle: ''The Dying Art of Living' is filled with songs that are, in turn, meaningful and fun. It's the kind of CD that rewards the listener who is willing to tune out other distractions and tune in to the music and lyrics for 50 minutes.' 'The Dying Art of Living' was produced by Rich Bickel (who also played on the record) and mastered by Tom Volpicelli at The Mastering House. Additional guest musicians include Alisa B and Don Himlin.Email Signup
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