The Friendswemake

Bio:

The Friendswemake - California Please EP
by Matt Nistler at http://www.thedailychorus.com

Something that I find very respectable about the music industry is how it really doesn’t emphasize individual talents so much as it tends to focus on teamwork. Yes, there will always be the Pete Wentz’s and Bruce Springsteen’s of the world who do tend to stand out from the crowd, but even Bruce has his E Street Band and Pete has the support of Stumpy and the rest of his Fall Out Boiz.

Even solo artists, who on the surface seemingly do all their own work, more often than not have assistance of some sort. In addition to band members themselves; producers, engineers, managers, street teamers, graphic designers, etc. are all needed along the journey of releasing music and becoming successful. The aforementioned list could go on and on, but the point is that music heavily relies on teamwork.

A fellow who really seems to grasp this concept is California native, Jonathan O’Brien, aka “The Friendswemake.” When I first read the concept of his California Please EP, I knew this was an album that would truly be special. Although The Friendswemake at its core is just one man, Jonathan has selflessly decided to push personal glory aside and instead redirect any and all attention towards the individuals that he works with in the course of his musical journey.

Even though O’Brien is the mastermind behind the project, every track on the EP features a guest appearance from someone new. Everyone from multi-talented instrumentalist, Ben Kweller, to Ryan Pope (The Get Up Kids), to Patrick Carrie (Limbeck) lend a helping hand on the disc.

Intrigued? Well that’s not even the most fascinating part of this project. Not only does The Friendswemake effectively form a musical collage of who’s who in the music industry, but he also blogs about each and every person’s contributions to the album. Everyone from the producer, to the engineer, to even the web designer gets a special shout-out on the band's blog. (Check it out at: http://thefriendswemake.blogspot.com)

If someone decided to record an album with this concept and then the album turned out to musically be a flop, I don’t think I’d be all that let down, as someone who undertakes a creative project like this would still deserve two thumbs up in my book. With the California Please EP, however, this is not the least bit of an issue as the music is just as, if not more, satisfying than the concept.

The sound on the EP is, understandably, just as eclectic as the guest performers on it. While each track has a different vibe, it is impressive to note that each track somehow works. O’Brien’s vocal stylings are smooth and emotional with a hint of twang in his voice that is reminiscent of artists such as Rocky Votolato and The Get Up Kids.

I’d like to pinpoint a single best song on the EP but the truth is that this is an album that is really best listened to from start to finish. The album is varied enough that as a listener you’ll get something new out of each track without feeling bored. As is the case with most concept albums, the music ends up being more of a journey than a one-shot-deal.

By far the most emotional track on the EP is “The Truth" (ft. Patrick Carrie of Limbeck and Nini Fabi) – a song about discovery and understanding. It’s not a difficult task to put yourself in O’Brien’s shoes as he bemoans, “The truth is I think I lost myself in everyone that I let down before I learned to love myself.”

While “The Truth” lends itself toward the autobiographical spectrum, “The Orange Tree" (ft. Chad Copelin and Andrew Sallee) gives the listener a feeling as if they’ve almost been transported inside a storybook. The soothing piano and acoustic strings lull the listener into a trance while picturing the scenario the song depicts. “How did that man ever leave you alone? Lying in an orange tree you looked down at me like I was gone,” sings O’Brien.

All-in-all this is an EP that is as varied as the number of people who assisted with the project. While some may argue that the stylistic changes and hodgepodge of guest stars diminish the unity of the EP, I think it only strengthens it. If the music industry is a team effort, just think of this EP as a crash course in “Teamwork 101.”

Member Since:

October 08, 2008

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