The Velvet Teen has mastered melody. The vocal part of every song on the CD will beg you to sing along. While it is largely guitar-based, the band also employs a great deal of keyboard on this one. Judah Nagler's unique, mellow, and often falsetto voice gives each song enough hook alone, as does the simple-yet-innovative-instrumentation. The combination of those two elements makes for an irresistable art-pop masterpiece.

Lyrical content is overwhelmingly inspired as well. You will find no sappy love songs or silly "you broke my heart" songs here. Instead, the songs deal in great depth with various human passions. For example, "The Prize Fighter" describes the arduous journey to success from the perspective of a contender, "Four Story Tantrum" describes the melancholy and lonely existence of a girl with whom the narrator is apparently taken, and the slowest song on the CD, "Red Like Roses," is sort of an ode to breaking free of the mundane, to self-exploration, and to self-expression.

I can pretty much promise you that you will love this CD, and that there is no need to sample it first, but I must warn that one (and only one) person that I met said that he didn't like Judah's voice so he didn't like the band. I love his voice, but based on this anecdote, I would suggest you at least get a feel for his voice before buying the CD.

LONG LIVE PEOPLE NAMED JUDAH


so much love locked inside you, bursting at the seams   April 8, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

"Out of the Fierce Parade" is the amazing debut LP from Santa Rosa's finest, The Velvet Teen. Ten remarkably assured and downright catchy indie rock/art-pop recorded skillfully by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla. The undeniable focus of the band is frontman Judah Nagler, whose sublimely beautiful tenor voice leaps acrobatically like a young Jeff Buckley, though never to the detriment of the inherent melody of the song. The high, passionate vocals may ostensibly put the Velvet Teen in the same genre as the current vogue of British bands such as Coldplay, Travis, Starsailor, etc., but unlike those bands, the Velvet Teen flat out ROCK. Standout tracks such as "Radiapathy" and the near apocalyptic soundscape of "Into the Open" show not only Judah's brilliant songwriting skills, but also the flawless rhythm section of Josh Staples and Logan Whitehurst. They have an almost preternatural understanding of the roles of their instruments, such that each of their parts play off of the other's, supporting and sometimes even providing the hook (as in the bell-like bass of "Four Story Tantrum" or the stomping intro to "Your Last Words") without overwhelming the song. The trio's complex vocal harmonies are also nothing short of jaw-dropping. The best part of this band is the versatility of their songwriting; they can go from a prog-operatic masterpiece like "Red Like Roses" to the near perfect synth-pop of "Caspian Can Wait" (my personal favorite) without skipping a beat. Nearly every song will have you singing along (I say nearly only because Judah's vocal range is often impossible to replicate) or dancing your hitherto complacent [self] off whilst screaming lines such as "I will ride the wave into its smoking hole/I will be the vulture to its carion." Brilliant. But enough of words: just buy the cd and see for yourself.


WOW - let's leave it at that   May 5, 2002
Velvet Teen's biggest fan (Santa Rosa, CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I would like to start off by saying, I don't want The Velvet Teen to get famous. It's not that they don't deserve fame and glory, because they definitely do. But I like to think of these guys as Santa Rosa's best kept secret. The only problem is the secret is coming out. After a tour that spanned the nation, The Velvet Teen is spreading their sound, and everyone is interested. But personally, I don't want Velvet Teen's fans to be the same screaming girls that line up for Britney Spears and BSB concerts. Rather, I'd like for Velvet Teen fans to be true music lovers who enjoy their originality, creativity, and artistic talent.
Now that I have said that, let me just say that this album is amazing. After an excellent first CD, the Velvet Teen has emerged with an even better record, although it seems impossible to top a near-perfect debut. Out of the Fierce Parade is full of beautifully written songs, complete with Judah's gorgeous voice. My favorite songs include "Caspian Can Wait," "Four Story Tantrum," and "Your Last Words," and that's because I am usually drawn to faster music. But "A Special Gift to You" and "Death" are so emotion filled and "Red Like Roses" is what my friend calls, "cool stoner music." Come to think of it, I don't have a favorite song at all. Each of the ten songs are different in their own way and I love every minute I spend listening to this CD. But please, buy the CD and hear the music for yourself and I promise, you won't be disappointed.


...   December 21, 2002
Scott Heisel (Cleveland, OH)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

The Velvet Teen is really good.

That's a good enough opening sentence as any, right?

Figured as much, you probably want to know more. The only thing is, I'm not too sure what to say.

"Out Of The Fierce Parade" is this Santa Rosa, CA threesome's debut album, and it's a doozy. For starters, it's a ten-track concept album telling the story of life [all the way from birth to death]. You don't even have to hear the music to appreciate the lyrics, which read as beautiful as your favorite poet's work.

It's only fitting that the music sounds as beautiful and grand as the lyrics suggest. A lazy listener [or record reviewer] would make the easy comparison to Radiohead, and while that isn't too far off, singer Judah's voice can sustain his gorgeous falsetto high notes without turning into a Thom Yorke-esque warble. Think of Jeff Buckley's better vocal stuff and you'll have a good idea. The music is lush and full in tracks like "Into The Open" [unarguably the CD's best track] and rocking and catchy in tracks like "Radiapathy," but sparse and cold in tracks like the aptly titled album closer "Death." The band really pulls off this concept album, as the listener follows along with each lyric to see how this life will turn out.

This is also a situation where the album's artwork compliments the music contained within perfectly. The back cover has ten different etchings, each representing a different song on the album, and the booklet art is absolutely stunning. I'd like to shake the hand of whoever drew this.

I wish I would've gotten this album earlier in the year. Every time I listen to it I hear so much potential, but I have yet to really sit down and dig into the disc, as it's the end of the year [and my "waiting for review" pile grows deeper by the day]. If I had more time to dedicate to just listening to this album, I could almost assure that it would make my Top 10 of 2002 list. As it stands right now, this is an outstanding album and band and you should all keep your eyes out for them.