Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Tony Appleseed - Color Blind

7/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Tony Appleseed

Color Blind
self-released; 2016

​3.8 out of 5

By Jamie Robash

I don’t know about anyone else but when I hear the name Asbury Park, New Jersey I think of the Boss aka Bruce Springsteen, a man with whom I also associate a great sense of pride in this country, both in terms of his epic arena rock anthem “Born in the USA” and his quieter take on the state of affairs around the country on his seminal solo record Nebraska. Although from now on when I think of Asbury Park I’ll also think of the wile-y alternative rocker Tony Appleseed and his rotating cast of merry men who hail from this burg.

​How can you forget a man whose bio reads: In a reality where Donald Trump is leading the Republican presidential ticket, Venezuela is on the verge of a social collapse and Americans sit pacified behind their cell phones, escaping the world around them into an alternate reality where fear is rapidly digested and subservience runs rampant, Tony Appleseed is locked away in his bomb shelter which doubles as a recording studio, blaring through the megaphone, love each other and yourself, before it's too late.

Well since the release of Tony Appleseed’s latest effort Color Blind Donald Trump has clinched the nomination and I continue to see pacified Americans staring at their phones every time I leave the house. I’m not sure that Color Blind will do anything to change these things; it may however give those of us who feel sympathetic towards Appleseed’s plight a little bit more of a reason to go on hoping, and pretty good for doing so.

Color Blind opens with Mike Mastropierro’s phone message manifesto set to orbiting synths on “Catharsis.” The music becomes poppier on the piano driven pop “type 0>type 1,” though lyrically continues to explore the deeper problems of what is currently going on in our society as a whole as Appleseed documents “we're the slaves to Google gods / the touchscreen has replaced the knob” and “are these human parts inside? / or is evolution just the next step / to becoming A.I.?” Appleseed shifts his focus on society to grandiosely taking on the never- ending problem of racism on the title track, “Color Blind” which despite its serious subject matter still manages to entertain, sinking in its piano pop hooks.

Things get more experimental on the astral symphonic rocker “Komorebi” with its big swells of synth and stellar guitars which leads into the doldrumatic EDM-enclave on “The Thinking Man,” which also bleeds into the beautifully introspective “Lessons.”

Much like his hometown-hero predecessor Bruce Springsteen, Tony Appleseed is documenting his life and times and trying to make sense of everything around him by putting these feelings into his music. Whether you agree with his messages or not Color Blind is still worth a listen.

Become A Fan
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact