Passable guitar pop
E. A Solinas | MD USA | 06/21/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The third album by Million Time Winner is "Writing The Broken Line," a collection of middle-level guitar pop-rock. Lots of broken hearts, brief basslines and capable guitar riffs litter the album, but nothing about it will make you remember it once it's over.It kicks off with a fairly interesting pop-punk riff in the passable rocker "Smiles in Between," followed by the somewhat repetitive "Broken Line" and the more complex "I'm Gone North." There's a lapse into slower pop with "Guitar Paper Pen," a blast of monotoned desperation in "Drowning in the Shadows," and the highlight, the insidiously catchy "Little Girl Little Song."There's nothing too wrong with "Writing the Broken Line" -- most of its problem is that it fails to be really good. The music is pretty typical guitar pop-rock, the lyrics are typical depressed-teen songs, and the vocals are those of a guy who is good but not great.The lyrics are the biggest stumbling point of "Writing." They range from average to downright silly, like the entirely serious, "If I close my eyes/I would see your pretty smile/that'd be nice to see." And the final track may drive you crazy with the endless droning of "You'll be fine, you'll be fine, you'll be fine..."Christian Andrews has a nice voice. Not great, but nice; he can carry the songs but don't expect vocal gymnastics. And the guitar riffs and basslines aren't great either, but they are good and catchy. They do, however, occasionally cross the line from good to great, coming up with some multilayered effects that are all too brief. Expect nothing great from "Writing the Broken Line," and you may be amused by Million Dollar Winner's latest. With weak songs but some worthwhile instrumentation, it's flawed but worth at least a listen."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1