Tess, Kiley and Serena are three sisters on mission to wake up the world. They are off to darn good start on their CD Achieving Peace Through Non-Violent Protest, an album dedicated to the beliefs and teachings of Gandhi.
I was a bit perplexed at first to the references of progressive rock, which in some instances are valid. They are more progressive with their structure of words in every song. For a band of teenage girls, they are carrying a powerful message that just slaps you in the face with truth and a firmly grounded standpoint.
Many of their tracks have some snappy electric guitar lines and a bit of sax and flute, which gives it a progressive flavor if you will. There are many positives going on here with this project but the one area that needs some work, and this will come with experience and age, is the vocals. It sounds like tween vocals set to advanced rock, which is a little strange at first blush. I had to give it a good chance because of the cause the girls are getting behind and all the good work they do. Once I got beyond that thought, I found myself nodding my head in agreement with their words. The second half of the CD, tracks 8-12, is all unplugged versions of songs you just heard, and very good, I enjoyed it even more as the album wore on.
What you have going on here are some enlightened youngsters that have been inspired by bands from the sixties and a lot of encouragement from their parents to succeed. They cover a variety of important topics from child abuse to world hunger; all of these are areas that we need to pay more attention to and address proactively without violence. In addition, I should mention the exceptional all-around musicianship that was a highlight throughout this CD. Serena is the only sister that plays an instrument, the guitar, and Kiley and Tess sing. I should say though that they all write and quite prolifically. They get some stellar support from Jeff Moore (guitars and bass), Sean Walsh (guitars), Poppy (piano, keyboards), John Rekevics (sax, flute), and Jessie Charnow (drums).
The music and the words of this recording will make their mark as these three sisters continue to develop in every way. They will most certainly be reaching the masses in an immense way as their following grows.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-August 13, 2008
