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Woman Be Free

Shadowland

Treading Water

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Seconds on End: Shadowland
            Shadowland is the second CD release from Seconds On End.  This Bay Area band which has developed a following doing gigs in La Honda, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, fits comfortably in the jam genre, specifically the Grateful Dead/Phish axis thereof.  They even offer a download of their live version of the Dead’s classic “Eyes of the World” on their website secondsonend.com.  If every jam band has its own space, the space that Seconds On End occupies most of the time is a place where possibilities are limitless and optimism is the order of the day.
            Contemporary jam bands have to answer the same two questions as groups playing blues, classic punk, or other well defined styles – do you bring anything new to the party and how are the songs?  What Seconds On End brings includes the warm womanly voice and oboe playing of Carrie Adler, a welcome contrast from the unoriginal and sometimes sketchy vocals of other jam groups, an appreciation of how to make a variety of guitar and drum intonations work the context of specific songs, nice bass work on songs like “Shadowrung” and an unabashed neo-hippie ethos that lets the superb guitar work of Peter Sawyer and Nick Peters give voice to most of what the group has to say.
            As for the songs, there are no real clunkers, and more than a few that leave a lasting mark.  The strongest songs, like Room to Breathe, Desert Passage, Away, and Shadowrung, tend to be urgent and to make up their own rules.  Seconds On End are less successful when they flirt with whimsy on a couple of tracks.  Every song has some beautiful playing on it and surprising passages abound.  Besides the polished, worldly Derek Trucks Band’s Songlines album, Shadowland is better than anything I’ve heard in the jam band genre recently.
Review by Entatty - May 2006

This is no ordinary jam band--it's a whole new way of living the musical dream. These players are first rate string wizards, the vocals are top-notch, and it clearly comes straight from the heart. The work is full of soul, sometimes ecstatic, sometimes mournful, but the spirit is always strong. You will love this recording. --Sandy Miranda, KPFA Jan. 2006

Seconds On End - "Shadowland" - Oct. 2005

This multifaceted rock band is one of the gems of the Bay Area and has developed a unique yet reminiscent sound over the last five years - distilled into this gorgeous production.

Seconds On End features several singers, songwriters and a slew of amazing musicians who have created an album that takes you on a powerful, deep, emotional journey. Drawing from rock, folk, reggae, psychedelia, ballads, meditative chants, with a sprinkling of funk this album is more deeply rewarding with each listen. 

Colorful, with a very wide palette of textures, styles, sounds, and emotions it opens with the catchy “Woman Be Free”.  This fun tune with its driving hook could easily get it placed in a ‘Roxy’ surfer-girl video.  The masterpiece “Treading Water” draws lyrically on the deep emotional wells and lifelong friendships born of personal tragedies which occurred during the making of the album.  The title track “Shadowland” features Carrie Adler, whose soulful vocals demonstrate that this is no mere "jam" band.  Carrie’s concert level oboe playing is sprinkled throughout the album bringing a rarely heard sound for any rock band.  Diving deeper in to the album one finds gems such as the mysterious and subtly anti-war piece “Shadowrung” featuring virtual electronica rhythms done on acoustic guitar!  The seven groove opening the mysterious and epic "Magnetic North" is worth the price of admission alone.

This band writes great songs and takes the listener on a truly rewarding journey - often fun but never superficial. We'll let the music speak for itself. This album is not to be missed, period.