Key - Son Ambulance

A good indie rock album off the infamous Saddle Creek Records label

As of 2004, Son Ambulance joins the ranks of fellow Saddle Creek labelmates Bright Eyes and Cursive. Unfortunately the band isn't *as* good as those two. The album starts off pretty well - "Paper Snowflakes" is almost a hitworthy track. The first 5 songs are pretty good. As a whole, however, the album is a bit uneven and merely "good". After "Sex In C Minor" is where things seem to go awry. The rest of the album is usually interesting enough musically, though, that it somewhat holds your interest. It IS, however, kind of hard to listen to straight through. The singer does a reasonably good job - he's likable and definitely fits the band's style. Lyrically it's a pretty decent album, although it's hard to listen to them at times. Musically it's pretty cool - they use some interesting sounds in a lot of the songs (most notably "Sex In C Minor"). Except for the second track, "Paper Snowflakes", the album doesn't have too much mainstream appeal. It's not a bad album, but it's not great either. Indie rock and Saddle Creek fans should like it. Recommended.

Highlights include:
"Paper Snowflakes"
"Billy Budd"
"Chlorophyll"
"Sex In C Minor"
"Taxi Cab Driver" (kind of)
"Case Of You/Wrinkle, Wrinkle" (kind of)
"Pleasure, Now"

Paper Snowflakes

This CD starts off good and then goes down alittle but the song Paper Snowflakes is great, I love it. Check out the CD for the song Paper Snowflakes if for nothing else.

hear it now

This is a band obsessed with 1970s soft rock music. Joe Knapp is a great songwriter who needs more attention. Songs like "Paper Snowflakes" evoke special moods. Other songs like "Chlorophyll" and "Case of You/Wrinkle, Wrinkle" are more psychedelic and Beatles inspired. This is the singer-songwriter movement revisited. It's another Saddle Creek release, not too much different from The Good Life and Now It's Overhead. It's a special record. They need to tour and be heard.

A Beautiful Sonnet

Son, Ambulance releases "Key" right in time for the changing leaves, the dry suburban streets, the dying flowers and the warm bonfires. The songs reflect these things, the autumnal beauty of a small New England town or Omaha, where Mr. Joe Knapp, the brains behind Son, Ambulance, hails from. Certainly he has surpassed his seeming mentor, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, with his soft floating wavering voice over echoey pianoes, changy guitar and epic closings. Relatively unknown, Son, Ambulance is moving, dramatic and worthy of recognition equal to that of Bob Dylan. This what makes the group so special. It has dodged the mainstream scene, and the music has the sound of the underground, the somewhat amateur sound that makes it all the more enjoyable. His first full length "Euphemistic" is far more sparser and quite possibly exceeds "Key" in orginality and song writing, but the epic closings of the songs in "Key" and the feeling of autumn really make the album a winner. Songs such as "If I Should Fall Asleep" and "Pleasure, Now!" hail as some of my favorite songs, with violin in a medieval style, if you will, and piano in a glorious somewhat Springsteeny mood. Joe KNapp has been compared to Ben Folds, but this is completely absurd. He is better than Ben Folds. He is better than Conor Oberst. He is better than Bono. He is one of the best musicians around right now. In a time where "indie" music has become somewhat mainstream, a new trend, Joe Knapp and Son, Ambulance remains true, ringing like a clear piercing note through a bright autumn day. Buy this album or forver remain ignorant of how beautiful the months of October and Novemeber can be, and how great life can treat you.

A good indie rock album off the infamous Saddle Creek Records label

As of 2004, Son Ambulance joins the ranks of fellow Saddle Creek labelmates Bright Eyes and Cursive. Unfortunately the band isn't *as* good as those two. The album starts off pretty well - "Paper Snowflakes" is almost a hitworthy track. The first 5 songs are pretty good. As a whole, however, the album is a bit uneven and merely "good". After "Sex In C Minor" is where things seem to go awry. The rest of the album is usually interesting enough musically, though, that it somewhat holds your interest. It IS, however, kind of hard to listen to straight through. The singer does a reasonably good job - he's likable and definitely fits the band's style. Lyrically it's a pretty decent album, although it's hard to listen to them at times. Musically it's pretty cool - they use some interesting sounds in a lot of the songs (most notably "Sex In C Minor"). Except for the second track, "Paper Snowflakes", the album doesn't have too much mainstream appeal. It's not a bad album, but it's not great either. Indie rock and Saddle Creek fans should like it. Recommended.

Highlights include:
"Paper Snowflakes"
"Billy Budd"
"Chlorophyll"
"Sex In C Minor"
"Taxi Cab Driver" (kind of)
"Case Of You/Wrinkle, Wrinkle" (kind of)
"Pleasure, Now"

Paper Snowflakes

This CD starts off good and then goes down alittle but the song Paper Snowflakes is great, I love it. Check out the CD for the song Paper Snowflakes if for nothing else.

hear it now

This is a band obsessed with 1970s soft rock music. Joe Knapp is a great songwriter who needs more attention. Songs like "Paper Snowflakes" evoke special moods. Other songs like "Chlorophyll" and "Case of You/Wrinkle, Wrinkle" are more psychedelic and Beatles inspired. This is the singer-songwriter movement revisited. It's another Saddle Creek release, not too much different from The Good Life and Now It's Overhead. It's a special record. They need to tour and be heard.

A Beautiful Sonnet

Son, Ambulance releases "Key" right in time for the changing leaves, the dry suburban streets, the dying flowers and the warm bonfires. The songs reflect these things, the autumnal beauty of a small New England town or Omaha, where Mr. Joe Knapp, the brains behind Son, Ambulance, hails from. Certainly he has surpassed his seeming mentor, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, with his soft floating wavering voice over echoey pianoes, changy guitar and epic closings. Relatively unknown, Son, Ambulance is moving, dramatic and worthy of recognition equal to that of Bob Dylan. This what makes the group so special. It has dodged the mainstream scene, and the music has the sound of the underground, the somewhat amateur sound that makes it all the more enjoyable. His first full length "Euphemistic" is far more sparser and quite possibly exceeds "Key" in orginality and song writing, but the epic closings of the songs in "Key" and the feeling of autumn really make the album a winner. Songs such as "If I Should Fall Asleep" and "Pleasure, Now!" hail as some of my favorite songs, with violin in a medieval style, if you will, and piano in a glorious somewhat Springsteeny mood. Joe KNapp has been compared to Ben Folds, but this is completely absurd. He is better than Ben Folds. He is better than Conor Oberst. He is better than Bono. He is one of the best musicians around right now. In a time where "indie" music has become somewhat mainstream, a new trend, Joe Knapp and Son, Ambulance remains true, ringing like a clear piercing note through a bright autumn day. Buy this album or forver remain ignorant of how beautiful the months of October and Novemeber can be, and how great life can treat you.