House of Vibes: Revisited
House of Vibes: Revisited, from Grip Weeds, is a re-mastering of a 2004 album of the same name. Brothers Kurt and Rick Reil on drums and guitar respectively, along with Kristin Pinell on guitar and Michael Kelly on bass make up this band that brings 60s and 70s music back to the forefront of the music scene. Growing up in Central New Jersey, the Reil siblings formed a band whose harmonies are so proportioned and its instrumentation so rhythmic that listeners will be inevitably drawn in by their tones.
The first track begins with guitar and drum play as the vocalist muses about unknown forces shoving him in an uncertain direction. "Doesn't matter what I do when I'm hangin' in the line/That I could say is true/I conjure up what I would say/There is a shadow of a doubt that passes through. You've got to open up and let it get it to you, let it get to you." The song also consists of ripping guitar riffs that will grab the attention of diehard rock and roll fans.
The fourth track has a cool psychedelic vibe to it as the guitar strumming slows and listeners can hear the drum play along with the clicking of the sticks used to bang them. The vocalist's tone is more relaxed on this song, which is about a season gone by and the feelings he associated with it. "As the icy window melts away and the tides go down into the day/You can feel the thoughts surround you."
The eleventh track has a speedy pop feel to it as percussion and guitar work enter the melody right off the bat. The vocalist seems to be singing about internal influences that are assaulting him, and he also is questioning the duration of time he has on this earth. "When the voices come inside, swell together like the tide. There is no place left that you can hide. Pictures left of yesterday/Tomorrow what is gone is here today. Cuz I don't know what's right or wrong. But I know I'm not here for long." It seems the vocalist is fearful of the culmination of his life and isn't quite sure what to with what he believes is the remainder of his time left. The song's upbeat tone deeply contrasts with the dour message presented.
Grip Weeds' "House of Vibes: Revisited" adds a new spin on an album that already portrayed old time rock and roll in an overwhelmingly flattering light. The band ups the ante slightly, making the record an even bigger draw to those who crave good old fashioned rock but with a singular twist.