CD Review: Five Times August, Something Clever

by Donte Gibson

PEGASUS NEWS WORLD HEADQUARTERS — One thing we want to do with this site is give local bands the kind of in-depth CD reviews they deserve, but rarely get, in the local media. Since we launched during the slowest release period of the year, we gave our staff a grab-bag of local CD's old and new to review to get us started. If you want to review a (preferably new) disc by a local band, send it to us.

Five Times August, Something Clever (EP)

Produced and Mixed by Chris Hawkes. Mastered by Nolan Brett at Crystal Clear Studios in Dallas, TX.

Five Times August is pure guitar-driven pop that will put Brad Skistimas in the same ranks as fellow Dallas native Ryan Cabrera and Jason Mraz. The key element to Skistimas’ handiwork is tightly written, universally appealing songwriting.

Though his voice can be thin and at times strained, his lyrics are easy to understand with almost no complexity, which works well to his favor. On Something Clever, we get several songs about post-adolescence angst in attempts at love. “First Time for Everything” kicks off the party with a Hanson-esque sound reminiscent of the earworm “Mmmbop.” Listeners beware, the song is just as likable and you will find yourself humming it at awkward times.

The best moment on the disc comes when Skistimas is at his most introspective. “Most Uncommon Thing,” a sweet, lilting ballad which gives the listener the feeling of finding new love, feels as if it would be almost as perfect in the final scene of Say Anything as Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” was.

There are other instances when Skistimas shoots for pop perfection with “Save It for Later” and “Better With You.” These two selections give anything on pop radio a run for their money with infectious hooks and catchy vocals. The most interesting, however, is the final track, “Luckiest of Suckers.” Here, we find Skistimas singing about the (slightly) happier side of a break-up. What’s appealing about the song is the Texas twang brought about by the guitar playing (at times the song almost borders on country).

Through carefully crafted songs aimed directly at the masses and pop-inflected vocals, Five Times August is slowly but surely gaining the clout it deserves. That’s Something Clever, indeed.

You can buy Something Clever at the Virgin Megastore in Dallas.