The Comenian

Issue date: 3/19/09 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: myspace.com/thetake

Rock music-I mean, great rock music-is hard to come by these days. What we hear on the radio is watered-down, consumer-driven fluff that generally has little meaning at all.

But, lucky for us, there are exceptions.

Taking a step away from the over-produced sound that plagues the airwaves, rockers The Take are on their way to some real success. The New Jersey natives, with the recent release of their seven-song EP, Tectonic, have an infectious sound that separates them from the pack of hopeful college garage bands.

The five-some has been making waves in the Lehigh Valley, as lead guitarist Nick LaFalce and bassist Justin Mayfield study at Muhlenberg College and guitarist Tom Lenehan attends Lehigh University. The band has begun to play local spots like Brenda and Jerry's in Bath and Muhlenberg.

The Take's sound isn't easily classified as your run-of-the-mill mainstream rock. With a display of brilliant instrumentals, insane vocals and smooth musicality, they bring us everything from standout pop ballads to hardcore elements of passionate rock music. You get the essence of rock, a little pop and hints of alternative, yet the band's ability to blend genres is not a bad thing, in their opinion.

"[We are] making mainstream rock the way it should be: musical, catchy and real," says lead singer Joe Vivona.

Their premiere album release, Tectonic is a seven-song resume of the guys' versatility and raw talent. With each song sounding completely fresh from its predecessor, the CD is full of head-bopping beats and powerful melodies.

Trust me, from start to finish, "Tectonic" is worth listening to.

The EP kicks off with the high-energy "Of Course It Hurts," filled with powerful lyrics and spot-on vocals, and it only gets better from here. The upbeat sound continues with "All Up To You": a smooth grooving beat with a sure-to-get-stuck-in-your-head power refrain and complete with an auto-tuned pre-chorus and a crazy-good guitar solo from LaFalce to close. If this song doesn't prove to you that The Take has what it takes, I don't know what will.

"Over Me" gives us a taste of the band's softer side, with a soothing acoustic sound and lyrics that hit straight to the heart. Relaxed percussion adds the perfect accompaniment to the shining three-part harmony in the line "Go go/ You're making it worse" But Vivona's vocals take center stage in this track, showing off this guy's serious skills and versatility.

Continued...

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