Ripe - More Yom

Published Friday 6th July 2007
Ripe - More Yom
Ripe - More Yom

STYLE: Rock
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 24120-12647
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Nigel Harris

Hailing from Newport, Oregon, Ripe deliver exactly what an independently recorded and produced debut album should be: quality music, creative packaging, crisp production and songs you'll want to listen to again and again. If I was teaching would-be musicians I would use this project to prove that a small budget debut album can sound every bit as good as the latest Sony chart-topper. Ripe comprise the power trio of Spud on guitar, Blotus on bass and vocals and Mike G on drums (otherwise known as Chris Johnston and Mike and Aaron Gibson). Blotus also wrote all but one track on the album. Their approach is hard to categorise, I would go for something like "reggae-inflected indie rock", but you should make up your own mind and listen to a few tracks on http://www.myspace.com/moreyom (yes, confusingly Ripe have recently changed their name to More Yom, the same as the album name). The opening tracks feature Spud's scorching melodic guitar lines against a clearly reggae-influenced vibe and Blotus's half sung/half rapped vocals which cram enough lyrics for a whole album into each track, and yet remain totally audible even at the breakneck pace at which he delivers them. The standout track for me is "Demon Donkey" which cleverly twists the refrain "it's personal" from the retort that "my faith is buried within, it's personal" to denounce the demons who are out to get "your wife and your life and your kids and their souls, and it's personal." The lyrics are consistently creative, thought-provoking - and just plain different, a refreshing change from the stream of clichés that mark many CCM songs. The band members have recently finished high school or jobs to devote the whole of their time to More Yom so let's hope they can start touring beyond their home state. These guys really have fresh talent.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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Reader Comments

Posted by BJ Blight in usa @ 07:05 on Mar 10 2008

hey, good review. you can get the new single track from
these guys free if you sign up for their mailing list. I found it here.

http://web.mac.com/blotus/www.moreyom.com/Downloads02.html



Posted by Jake in Campus @ 00:15 on Aug 20 2007

Can you play on campus? Because I'm an american college student.


Reply by blotus in newport, OR @ 03:09 on Aug 27 2007

well Jake, there are a lot of campuses in the states, and though we would love to play them all, maybe you could narrow it down a bit. thanks for the interest. God Bless!

-blotus

oh, awesome review Nigel, thank you so much!

[report abuse]


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