Son, Ambulance

Euphemystic
(2001 Saddle-Creek)
Non-Local Artist

By:Peter Berard(Lawrencerock.com Editor/Designer)

The name "Son, Ambulance" is a creative play on words referring to the word somnambulism, which means to sleepwalk. Although, there is nothing sleepy about Son, Ambulance's music it makes sense that Joe Knapp's solo project would be as creatively named as his imaginative new LP, Euphemystic. Joe Knapp has long been the under study of Saddle Creek label-mate Conor Oberst, aka Bright Eyes. Last year Son, Ambulance made their official debut on the split EP Oh, Holy Fools which featured music from both Knapp and Oberst. It is now almost a year later and the time has come for Joe to leave the comfort of Conor's nest.

Fortunately, Joe Knapp's Son, Ambulance have left the nest flying. Euphemystic is a creative album featuring beautiful melodic arrangements filled with acoustic guitars, soft drum beats, and interesting uses of various other instruments. The album's music could be compared to Bright Eye’s material because of its low key sound but one would never get the two confused due to Knapps unique and unconventional song structures. Both artists also differ greatly in terms of subject matter. Oberst fills his songs with dark and depressing images, where Knapp sings of his honest, sometimes immature emotions. It is common to fall into deep depression after listening to just a few songs from any Bright Eyes album, but Euphemystic depicts a far less bleak world. In fact it is down right joyful at times.

The CD opens with "An Instant Death," a track that foreshadows the rest of album by showcasing all that Son, Ambulance has to offer. The song starts slowly with just an acoustic guitar and meanders its way to a rocking overdrive laden arrangement. The aspect of the track that is most telling about Son, Ambulance, however, are Joe Knapp's vocals. The moment Knapp begins to sing, it is apparent that he doesn't have a conventionally strong voice. His voice struggles to reach high notes that he constantly writes for himself, and he seems to go in and out of key with frequency. Normally this would make me dismiss the music, but in Son, Ambulance's case, it is a well-disguised blessing. Knapp's unconventional voice only adds to the tremendously truthful beauty of the album. Every line sung is filled with heart felt emotion that can only seem genuine coming from an imperfect voice.

The track following "An Instant Death" is the appropriately named "An Instant Birth," which also happens to be my favorite of the album. Joe begins the extremely catchy song with the words, "GET UP!" and later sings, "it's a morning evacuation, being squeezed between oceans, sirens are seducing me awake, there is an emergency happening". The song fills the listener with anticipation for what’s to come over the next forty minutes. Other standout tracks include the lyrically Spanish influenced "Maria in Motion" in which Joe shows off his ability to roll R's (a trick he picked up in his Spanish II class in high school), and the Sesame Street inspired "I Promise You'll Never Grow Old", which might be the happiest song I have ever heard from an indie rock artist.

The album wraps up with "Violet", a song that reunites the teacher (Oberst) with the pupil (Knapp). It becomes apparent that Knapp still has a lot to learn as Oberst swoops down and steals the track like a bald eagle catching an unsuspecting fish with his distinctive and emotive voice.

Joe Knapp may still have a lot to learn, but he is off to an amazing start with his first full-length. At first listen I assumed that the album was going to be the weakest Saddle-Creek release of the year. This is not as shameful as it sounds considering the other acts that put out records such as The Faint's brilliant dark album, Danse Macabre, and Cursive's powerful EP, Burst and Bloom. After repeated listens, however, I found that my assumptions were wrong. Euphemystic is not the weakest saddle-creek release but in fact is the most creative and truthful album the label has put out all year. Joe Knapp has nothing but a bright future in front of him. One can only hope that he will be build upon the wonderfull foundation he has made for himself with Eupheymystic.