One of the greater conundrums plaguing those who actively are creating or reviewing music is discerning the difference between a highly touted live band & a markedly intricate studio group. More often than not, bands with an active touring schedule tend to find it difficult to channel their on-stage energy into crafting a decent album in the booth. Conversely, those groups who revel in eking out every possible nuanced sound from their instruments during the recording process struggle when attempting to deliver their handiwork to a live audience. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, as audiophiles have debated for time immemorial as to which approach is more meritorious - disciplined studio musicians or charismatic live rock-n-rollers.
That being said, I really would love to hear Great Lakes Myth Society play in some of my favorite drinking venues. Their songs pulse with the tremor and tenor of a band poised to jump headlong into their sound, but they consciously step back from the ledge in order to complete the requisite 3-to-4-minute pop song. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with wanting to create a solid, mature record, but there’s something to be said for unabashedly throwing yourself into your material. And I don’t think they’re doing it, or at least not often enough for me.
The thing is, I do like Compass Rose Bouquet, as these five men are talented musicians and gifted songwriters, blessed with a penchant for describing both the rousing and mundane aspects of everyday life in their native Michigan. From the strong opener “Heydays” to the tale of lamentable barroom love in “Queen of the Barley Fool,” and from the Beach Boys-inspired “Eastern Birds” to the straight-ahead rock of “Debutante,” Great Lakes Myth Society clearly possesses a diverse sonic palate from which they’ve shaped their songs. Nevertheless, with each trip through my CD player, I can’t help but wish for something more from Compass Rose Bouquet, hoping for a bridge between the raucous bar-rock that I hear in my imagination and the careful studio mix coming out of my speakers. Maybe I’ll just take a road trip to Ann Arbor, MI in the near future to please my ears and to share a couple of 6-packs with these guys…
--Adam P. Newton
