CD, Diffusion, 2006
www.ctrlmusic.com
CTRL’s second release on Diffusion Records brings a large amount of energy and enthusiasm to the forefront of their sound. Though still keeping with the tried and true ways of electric poppiness, CTRL adds a modicum of reality to their music that makes it all the more appealing. Most listeners will be able to relate to the lyrics and justify themselves through the progression of the songs, specifically if they’ve partaken in any drunken 2 AM angst or drama or they’ve embraced feelings of despondency on more than a hundred occasions.
While the live performance of CTRL gives a different feel for their sound, an attentive individual may find the power they show on stage behind the seemingly innocuous music on the cd. The first track, “Grand Experiment”, illustrates this strength perfectly with its driving basslines and wholly honest lyrics falling somewhere between persistency and reminiscence. Other, more somber songs like “Some Other Time” allow for a moment of reflection during the course of the album – a time to sit back and reconsider the past.
“Loaded Weapons and Darkened Days” is definitely a strong move for the members of CTRL and a very handsome companion to their previous albums, as they seem to have learned quite a bit about production over the years. Those who were fans of “Lose the Image” will find that the strengths of that album have been carried over and reworked into an incredible new piece of music that is without a doubt their best composition yet.
Final score: nine out of ten habanero peppers.
[9/10]
— Ethan Cohen