Description
Relocation is the fifth album by the American indierock band Plankeye, released on BEC Recordings in 1999, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. The album was recorded by Gene Eugene of Adam Again fame and band member Luis Gracia at The Green Room in Huntington Beach, California; with Eugene producing. All songs written by Eric Balmer and Luis Garcia.
On this album Plankeye features Eric Balmer on guitar and vocals and Luis Garcia on bass and vocals, backed by producer Gene Eugene on piano and keyboards and musical guests Frank Lenz on drums and Lost Dog sideman Burleigh Drummond of Ambrosia fame on percussion.
Having stripped down to a two piece, both Eric Balmer (vocals/guitar) and Luis Garcia (bass) return with the stunning ‘Relocation’, the bands first album since the departure of Scott Siletta (now of Fanmail). Produced by Gene Eugene, Plankeye have been encouraged once again to push back established boundaries of past projects and enter in to a whole new dimension; simultaneously retaining their already established musical identity. Erik Balmer and Luis Garcia are here joined by Frank Lenz (drums), Burleigh Drummond (percussion) and Gene Eugene (piano and keys), to produce a fine set of rock compositions, complete with lyrics that contemplate life and the answer to our own futile attempts at living without a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. ‘Relocation’s’ mood and tone seamlessly meander between high energy out and out rock numbers («Say Now That You’re Sorry», «When It Comes» and «Break Of Dawn»), and the more vulnerable songs of lament and struggle («Goodbye», «Call Me A Liar» and «Invisible»). Wonderful imagery is seed herein that actually captures everyday life and our own deep seated need, even as believers, to realise just how vulnerable we are without God’s grace; resulting in a project that actually manages to relate to the listener on a much deeper level. With ‘Relocation’, Plankeye not only manage to mark the beginning of a new musical era for themselefs, but also demonstrate that they have never ceased to progress in both musical and lyrical maturity. [Alex Figgis, Cross Rhythms, October 1999]
There’s two questions that come to mind: Do they sound like Plankeye? And Is the album any good? Let’s hold off on the answers for just a moment. I’ve had the good fortune of digging this band’s stuff for a while. I personally think this band has been amazingly influential within their musical domain. The gradual move from edgy / punky / indie rock to more indie rock / pop rock was an interesting journey. The One and Only was so much more radio pop than anything they had done. A huge transformation was taking place. Sure, Commonwealth was an obvious predecessor to that, and a large departure from the edgy Spark album and even further from the gutty Spill album. But The One and Only concreted Plankeye into a new sound.
I don’t know what was a greater adjustment: Scott Silletta leaving (for those who don’t know – Plankeye’s distinctive lead singer Silletta left after the highly acclaimed The One and Only) or this transition into pop. Plankeye was one of the rougher voices we could identify with in a scene filled with polished, uppity sounds. Every fan responds differently to change in a band’s sound, just as every band changes differently. So, let this album be no different. No matter what is said about this album, I believe that it should stand on its own. There is too much that factors into things to compare it to the past stuff.
To answer one of the questions quickly, Relocation is reminiscent of some of their stuff but is predominantly a completely different species. I’ve been listening to Relocation for a few weeks now. Easy to love this melodic, gentle, (mostly) pop album. And it’s the melodies that makes this album. I guess with pop albums, it has to be. There is nice guitar work with some standard tones; pretty far removed from punk. Some radio-sounding stuff and some poppy, emo-style guitar work (ie. Promise Ring, Pop Unknown but not as intricate or memorable or showcased – with some exceptions, especially «Say Now That You’re Sorry» and «I Can’t Complain»). Nice vocals. Both guys do some singing. The voices are pretty good and some nice harmonies. «Honey And Oil» sounds closer to the old Plankeye than any song on the album (there I go comparing) and shows some of the vocal diversity on the album. There is a lot of “OooWooHoo, OooWooHoo” type stuff, which reminds everyone of the pop-i-ness. Each part is pretty standard.. . nothing crazy or amazingly inventive, but all excellently played / performed. Its excellence isn’t in something exotic or foreign, but it’s not quite what you are hearing on the radio. Pleasant sounds, which calm and woo, instead of rile you up. Relocation is unique in its breadth. It almost seems like they wanted to try some new things. Each song is a new exploration in just a little bit different sound. There are common threads, but I’ve heard albums that are almost the same song all the way through. This is not one of them, which makes it an intriguing album to listen to.
There are some beautiful slow songs («Goodbye», «Break My Fall», «Indivisible» and «You Are For Me»), which is quite a few. Very little of the album is heavy in the way many of the HM readers appreciate. I’m a hard a music fan and still find Relocation in my regular spin. There are some faster songs. The lead-off track, «Say Now That You’re Sorry», hooks the listener right away. Melody and some umph in the guitar work; lead this song as a hit. In this age of the new, underground pop, this album has joined the movement. There is enough background and sound difference to not be totally pop without cool. Or maybe it’s that it is so completely pop we are not used to it in this alternative world. It somehow retains some of its indie rock sound, but it’s very hard to explain exactly where. Some songs are even reminiscent of earlier Christian Contemporary stuff that you could easily have heard Michael W Smith play. But the guitars and some of the melodies and effects hold the sound in this trend that is making its way to your door. The late great Plankeye has died, and the new (and quite possibly just as great) Plankeye has taken the stage. I hope people will take this album for what it is. What a good spin. I will play this one for quite a while. [BM, HM Magazine]
If a band survives the departure of members, it’s often because they’ve managed to maintain a recognizable voice and a consistent public image. But with the absence of singer Scott Silletta and drummer Adam Ferry, the remaining Plankeye members have rebuilt the band’s sound from the ground up. On Relocation, guitarist Eric Balmer steps up to take over the bulk of the lead vocals while sharing writing with bassist Luis Garcia.
Against the odds, they’ve shaped a smart, fun collection of modern pop, emphasizing a lighter crisper approach that’s not afraid to rock when the song beckons. It all works best on openers «Say Now That You’re Sorry», the praise pop chorus «I Can’t Complain» and «Break of Dawn», which owes a nod to Blur.
One caveat: As with Silletta before him, occasionally Balmer writes in such a way that he’s not singing in his best key, meaning that his voice can sound strained in some of the more demanding, emotional sections. For example, on «Goodbye», a genuinely well-written power ballad, the final Eddie Vedder-like scream section feels like the alt/rock equivalent of nails on the blackboard. Otherwise, a series of strong rockers round out the disc, including «Honey and Oil», «You Got It» and «Indivisible».
Overall Relocation is a crisp, bouncy, exciting collection that, with the one noteworthy exception, is highly recommended. [Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, July 1999]
> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/relocation/727321280)
CD tracklist:
01. Say Now That You’re Sorry – 3:08
02. I Can’t Complain – 4:36
03. Goodbye – 4:20
04. When It Comes – 2:59
05. Call Me Liar – 4:03
06. Break My Fall – 4:32
07. Break Of Dawn – 4:05
08. Honey And Oil – 3:20
09. You Got It – 2:41
10. Indivisible – 4:51
11. You Are For Me – 4:37
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by BEC Recordings.
A full-page advertisement for Plankeye’s Relocation was featured in the May 1999 issue of CCM Magazine.
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