Album Details

• Artist: Bassel
• EP:
Bassel
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: hstisgod on 2009-11-06

Media

Patterns of ideology are persistent everywhere, especially in music. Acoustirock as I like to call it, is often one of those genres that has a hard time with identity. IOTY09 third place finisher, Bassel, suits, but does not fit the assumption. Hailing from an area very familiar with IOTY, yet another sound arises from Ohio.

Songs like "Wake Up" have tasty melodies and a nachalant and brazen relaxedness. "Find Myself" featuring Annabel? Is that right? Didn't really enjoy what I heard of Annabel a few months ago, but if they're involved, it seems to me they are complimented well by Bassel. Light keys give way to a well written exploration of lounge leading post modern rock. I'm not quite grasping the lead vocals, which have appeal to me, but are seemingly missing that something extra. The tingy energy of "Winter Dreams" is a perfect example of this. Like, Al-Madani is nearly to the finish line on almost every chord, and I'm left teased. The guitar melodies in "Winter Dreams" have this almost Crash Test Dummies surround sound.

Probably one of the most enjoyable songs these guys offer is "As Sweet as the Summer" which stares definitively. A constant keys heartbeat with a somberly warm acoustic jangling. "When tomorrow comes, I'll see it through". Lyrically theres more hear than I'm understanding at the moment. Sincerely, the best song here, and closest to the energy these guys will take your mind with is "Light".  (Thom)Yorke and (Jesse)Lacey are both licking their chops if they heard the progression of instrumentation and melody here.

As labeled on their myspace an older track, "I Can't Save You", at times features a group effort on vocals. If this is older material, I'd certainly agree that the progression of Bassel is something to look out for in future recordings. Something or someone, in this project is holding back musically from the energy they need to really expose themselves. I'll keep everyone posted on their artist comments.

User Reviews and Comments

Review:

on 2009-10-19 hstisgod Said:

reviewed.
Rating: 8/10

Review:

on 2009-10-19 Bassel Said:

Here is my general bio, as I cannot update my IOTY profile for some reason:

"Bassel" is the brainchild of artist Bassel Al-Madani from Ohio. The 2008 release of his self-titled EP "Bassel" in Columbus, OH (out of Relay Records) marked his first official studio release. He is currently writing his second (and first full-length) album, and will be releasing these tracks in Spring of 2010.

Bassel's passion for music creation and growing knowledge of musical theory at an early age led him to pick up guitar. By experimenting with (and manipulating) his instrumentations, he adapted to a very unique style of playing. Though slightly odd in nature, his use of a 5-string guitar and intricate tunings allowed him to discover the melodic pulses which he strived to create. Combined with the folk & jazz influences in his vocal progressions during this time, a new system had paved the way for a very creative and distinguishing sound.

More information is available on Bassel and his current projects at:


http://www.myspace.com/bassel
http://www.facebook.com/basselmusic
http://www.twitter.com/basselmusic
Rating: 10/10

on 2009-10-18 fortuneandspirits Said:

I guess you are I were thinking the same thing, I wasn't as nice as you though

http://www.musicemissions.com/users/fortuneandspirits/blog/With+Regard+to+user+comments_+fans+and+hstisgod
Not Rated

on 2009-10-18 Bassel Said:

Dear hstisgod,

The point of IOTY is for fans to vote on their favorite indie acts. While Music Emissions may encourage voters to leave their own reviews and comments on the website, this has no bearing on what fans actually think of the music itself. If you are curious to read up on comments, please refer to http://www.myspace.com/bassel. But please don't judge a book by its cover by merely discounting someone's music due to 'minimal comments, reviews, and ratings' on one specific website. The point of independent music is to generate a reputation on one's own. Considering the title of this contest, it should be realized that musicians involved want to branch out. The fans are the ones that make this a possibility by registering and voting for their favorite artists. It is also very fortunate that Music Emissions allows this to be a possibility. If you have more questions or comments, let me know! Thanks for your criticism.

- Bassel Al-Madani
Rating: 10/10

on 2009-10-18 hstisgod Said:

These minimal comments, reviews and ratings are not only lame, theyre insulting to the site. It makes it hard to even want to be ope minded about an artists music.
Rating: 8/10

on 2009-10-18 matesofstate Said:

Yeah dude!
Rating: 10/10

on 2009-10-16 corbin Said:

good stuff
Rating: 6/10