Search - Caleb :: Fear of Success

Promising beginning

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 05/20/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Caleb is an amazing arranger. He plays and uses a variety of instruments on Fear of Success. Although his melodic sense is monotonous and his lyrics cram more words than the meager melodies can accommodate, because of his brilliance in arrangement it still comes as a quite interesting mix, worthy of repeated listening. "Welcome" opens the CD with a peppy beat and a thin lyric line, "Wecome to the world of entertainment ... cause they're going to knock you down." The next track highlights percussionist Bashiri Johnson who helped make the tracks "Gardenia Talk," "Sweet Dream Fade," and the title track of Laura Nyro's posthumous CD "Angel in the Dark" so amazing. On "Blue" he makes the track percolate; and Caleb throws in a sitar to give a different texture. There are nice harmony vocals on "I Fall to Pieces" as Caleb sings, "Here comes the lines of fiction, the contradictions." Josh Neretin's tabla starts "Pick Yourself Up" where Caleb lists, "What we want, we can't get; What we need, we've never had." My least favorite track on the CD is "Sally Doesn't Call Me Anymore." I see other reviewers have enjoyed this one, but for me there is not much suggestion in the lyrics. When Caleb sings, "I'd rather see her dead than alive," to me it seems like Sally made a wise choice not to see him. Caleb is trapped on "These Four Walls," "Come and get me out of these four walls, conjure up a life that's pleasing, when will I get these?" "In Motion" is more chant than song, but the instrumental variety makes the material interesting. "Throw Down Your Weapons" has a unique guitar part. It made me think that Caleb might be reaching for a sound like David Gray achieved on "White Ladder." For me the most successful and best cut comes near the end with "She Likes the Attention." The lyrics rise above the mundane with, "Does she not make my heart beat a little faster, and doesn't she move me like a natural disaster?" The chorus is infectious, "She can't stop turning it on and on and on." Radio programmer should start with this one! This is a promising start for Caleb. He's got a lot going for him. He's worth a listen!"

Atmospheric 80s style enhanced pop

Dean Wuksta | Australia | 05/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'She Likes The Attention'is the strongest song on the album,I heard it at the end of a movie and really liked the drumming style, which is consistent throughout the album. Caleb has an interesting vocal style and is a very versatile instrumentalist. I can hear Sting, Ben Lee and also a hint of Michael Franks in his melodic style.The production is pretty slick, this gives it that eighties vibe, lots of percussion loops and retro synth sounds, but with a lot of real musos in the compositions, it's never static...a sit & listen album."

Time to be afraid, Caleb

Adam Little | Toronto, Canada | 02/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Caleb, a young New York City singer-songwriter, is going to have to deal with his fear when this disc gets heard. It crackles with thoughtful pop. Caleb brings a fresh hiphop feel to influences as varied as Police-era Sting(Pick Yourself Up), and Seal (These Four Walls) without being overwhelmed by them. And while the music can be quite lyrical, the lyrics speak to a dark wit (particularly, Welcome the opening track about the underbelly of celebrity). The production was handled by studio veteran, Kevin Killen(Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello, and too many others to list) and Caleb. The musicianship on the disc is very good but Tony Levin's big-bottomed bass on I Fall to Pieces deserves special mention."