Knievel
No One's Going To Understand In My Way (Architecture Label)
By: Alex Steininger
Australian pop outfit Knievel, led by vocalist/songwriter/guitarist/producer Wayne Connolly and bassist/vocalist/songwriter Tracy Ellis, while working on their forthcoming full-length, have culled various songs from 7"s, singles, demos, and outtakes to compile No One's Going To Understand In My Way.Primarily recorded on the "state of the art Tascam 244 4-track closed reel deck", even the most basic of recording gear can't hold back Knievel's effervescent melodies. Connolly's impeccable production, and the songwriting magic that occurs between Ellis and Connolly, as well Nick Kennedy, who played drums on a lot of these recordings, a winning team.
From the opening of "Are You Still Making Progress?", Knievel's mid-tempo, laid-back hooks and airy songwriting take advantage of space, filling the air with a supple amount of instrumentation to carry out the melodies. Leaving the rest of the song's surrounding empty for you to swim in while the song's gentle touch caresses you and takes you into its arms.
"Can't Find It On The Map" finds the easy going Knievel delivering a settled, early morning, sunshine-through-the-window pop song with enough spirit for you to feel the need to sing along. All while keeping the song subdued enough for you to be able to sit back and relax, sinking into its glowing melody and forgetting the worries of life for a few minutes.
But Knievel does more than just write warm, friendly pop songs. They write rock songs quite well, too. "Your Own Worst Enemy" is a good example of this. Guitars jangling, Connolly and Ellis sharing the vocal duties, while Nick Kennedy keeps the beat edgy and up tempo, the song gets you up and out of your chair, the energy too hot not to touch.
With ten other songs (thirteen total), No One's Going To Understand In My Way is a shining example of the pop genius and stellar songwriting of Knievel, one of Australia's finest indie-pop bands. Connolly, when not writing songs for Knievel, has produced and/or engineered for such bands as You Am I, Silverchair, Powderfinger, The Vines, and Evan Dando. A great pop songwriter and a great engineer/producer, Connolly's two skills come into play with Knievel, making each of their records quite special, and ensuring No One's Going To Understand In Our Way will offer you plenty of hours of fun. I'll give it an A.
