Well, it's finally happened. A band broke up before I could get out a review (to nobody's surprise). The two-man pop/rock act Seven Mile Sun called it quits back in December of 2003, four months after releasing their long-awaited debut, "A Moment In Time". Singer "Logan" and drummer Brian Zakalowski formed 7MS back in 2001 and poured all their cash, heart and soul into the project, performed all over state, and have been a steady presence on this website. They came quite a long way during that time, both musically and emotionally. Click "Read More" below.
Sounds Like...Tears For Fears meets Jon Bon Jovi. Seven Mile Sun is a two-man Pop/Rock act featuring guitar and drums playing over sequenced keyboard parts. |
CD: A Moment In Time
Year: 2003
Recorded by: Vinnie Strockis @ Perfect 11 Studios, New Baltimore, MI
Produced by: Seven Mile Sun & Vinnie Strockis
Band members: Logan (vocals, guitar, sequencing), Brian (drums)
Additional Musicians: Vinnie Strockis (bass, backing vocals), Jeff Sankuer (additional percussioin)
Compliments
Way back in January of 2003, Webmaster Rick and I first met and witnessed Seven Mile Sun perform at The Magic Bag for the Radiocraft [IN STEREO] CD release party. It was a solid performance which included Pat Sankuer on guitar and bass. I remember thinking that "Logan", the singer, looked like a cross between Karl Wallinger of World Party and Brad Pitt.
In any case, his charisma was palpable and, though his stage presence was understated, it worked well. Rick said he had the indescribable "It", a star quality that was hard to pin down but definitely there. I'd have to agree. If the music thing doesn't work out, Logan should try the acting thing. It worked out great for Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, Don Johnson, Lou Diamond Phillips (ok, maybe not so well for him), all former band-heads who still dabble in music.
Anyway, by that time I'd heard the early demos of "It's Not The End of The World" (track 2), a tribute to the 9/11 tragedy, and "The Freedom Between Me & You" (track 1). The final versions of both songs that ended up on "A Moment In Time" are exponential improvements from their humble beginnings. But I remember being particularly struck by "Flowers For Virginia" (track 3) which I had just heard for the first time at that show. Its simple chorus stuck in my head long after they'd finished their set. The lyrics are based upon a touching poem by Phoenix Estep in which he mourns the loss of his grandmother, too late realizing her significance in his life.
Seven Mile Sun show further evidence they've matured as songwriters on "Little Broken Pieces" (track 4). For members of my generation, the intro may immediately bring to mind Stephen Bishop's "On and On", but once you get past the urge to sing, "Down in Jamaica / they got lots of pretty women", the song takes you into entirely new territory with an unhurried rhythm, interesting use of dynamics and expansive vocals. It's abrupt end at 3'10" leaves you wanting more. Lyrically, this fascinating character portrait doesn't suffer from the ambiguity some of the other songs do.
Out of eight tracks on "A Moment In Time", "Extraordinary Things" stands out as the most optimistic of the bunch with lyrics that speak to taking a moment to appreciate the wonder of life. Charged with a battery of modern-rock guitar, the chorus has a mass-appeal that sounds particularly suited to a television theme song. By accident or design, the stretching of the word "ex-tra-or-di-nary" at the end of the chorus piques your attention, delivers a sonic pay-off, then compels you to listen on.
Complaints
Musically and sonically, this record is as tight as it should be; The drums kick, the guitars crunch and the keyboard sequences sweeten-up everything in between. But I must say, I prefer Logan's live vocals to his studio performance. On stage his delivery seems natural and sincere. But on disc, they sometimes seem hobbled by heaps of contrived vocal affectation, particularly on "Pushing Back" (track 5) on which he shows his predilection for 'Whoa-ooh-whoa's and 'Yeah-ee-yeah's and other trite rock expressions that serve only to fill space. The performance conjures up images of Jon Bon Jovi throwing his hair back and closing his eyes before belting out each belabored clicheŽ. Rarely, if ever, does Logan stray from tune or wobble on a note, but like they say in baseball after a wild pitch, 'I think he put a bit too much on that one.'
Conclusions
"A Moment In Time" is a good first effort by Seven Mile Sun, and maybe a good last effort as well. After collaborating with Logan since 1997, drummer Brian Zakalowski has decided to call it quits for personal reasons, including a new engagement, and to concentrate on his web graphics company. Zakalowski says he needs to put some space between he and the music business and re-discover his love for drumming. He explains in a forum post:
'I think the nail in the coffen for 7MS was it became all work & no play - for me at least. We started out playing because that's what we loved doing. Then it turned into a job. It was "we need more people to come to shows", "we need to sell more CD's", "Why aren't we as cool as SMT "... I was playing to become successful & not because I enjoyed it. For the past four months I DIDN'T ENJOY PLAYIN THE DRUMS! I always told myself that if it stopped being fun, I'd stop doing it. Just so happened Logan brought it up before I did...'
Logan, also recently engaged, has decided to carry on with 7MS as a solo acoustic project for the time being. He'll continue to challenge himself and hone his talents live. Currently, he's testing out new material out on the circuit and plans on releasing new demos in the coming months. This first disc was an important step, but it's just a "Moment In Time" on a continuing journey.
- Mitch
Track Listing
1. The Freedom Between Me And You
2. It's Not The End of The World
3. Flowers For Virginia
4. Little Broken Pieces
5. Pushing Back
6. Extraordinary Things
7. I
8. Say To Me