Asterion Two Song – Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions (reviewed by Darren Baker)

Never judge a book by its cover; that’s what they say. Proof of such a sentiment comes when you consider these two tracks from Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions, especially if you have them pegged as being straight-down-the-line blues-rock guys, which you may very well have if you haven’t been paying close attention to just how many sonic avenues this three-piece explore.

“Digitize,” the first offering on this two-track EP, is very much in the rock category but a world away from the likes of “Fool Outta Me” or “Time Out.” This is music made at the point where the digital world meets the analog one, where the rock energies explode into nu-metal anthemics, where muscle and melody meet. It’s big, AND it’s clever!

“Lie To Me” is, in many ways, the flip side of the sonic coin. Forged of the same forward-thinking sonic threads, here, more space and atmosphere rule the roost, which makes the punctuating explosions and searing crescendoes even more powerful when they occur.

Both tracks can be found on the album Asterion, a fantastic music suite that shows that Gary and the boys are much more than a one-trick pony. Given their past meanderings through everything from rock to folk, blues to country, pop to hard rock, balladry to hard-hitters, spacious ambiance to explosive ornateness, I would say that I don’t think I have ever come across a band or artist as at home in so many genres, as Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions.