Chamberlain "The Moon My Saddle"

Once upon a time i used to read a magazine called Alternative Press. For as long as i can remember they would do an issue once a year where they would highlight albums from 10 years before. In 2008 they highlighted an album from a band i had never heard of. This band was Chamberlain. The album they were highlighting was "The Moon My Saddle". The thing that caught my eye immediately was the author said the band "sounded more like John Mellencamp" and "the biggest factor separating them from there post-hardcore peers was the fact they could actually PLAY instead of merely posture".

A brief history of the band is that they are from Indianapolis,Indiana. Once again something that caught my eye. lol. They used to be more of a hardcore band named Split Lip until they changed there name and went for a more mature sound. They released this album in 1998 on Doghouse records. Doghouse Records is also the former home of bands such as The Get Up Kids, and The All-American Rejects.


So after reading this article i combed the interweb for this gem of an album. My search ceased when i found there music on last.fm. The article couldn't have been more accurate. Every song i listened to was so mature and well written. How could this be? It's pop/emo/americana music that is perfectly tuned for your radio frequency. The difference between this album and every other pop band was TALENT. Although every song is standard verse/chorus/verse pop music it is extremely well written. David Moore's voice is a deep baritone with a ton of range that dives deep into your soul. Adam Rubenstein's guitar work is like a slowed down country version of a Johnny Marr. Charlie Walkers drum work is to me the highlight of the album. It is one of the most crisp,clear and well written drum recordings i have ever heard.

I got this album about a year and a half ago. It is perfect driving music. I just listened to it about 3 times on a trip to Chicago this last week. To get down to business it sounds like a band that Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem would like. A good mix between the country/americana sound of John Mellencamp and the pop sensibilities of The Counting Crows.

Here is a link to a .zip file to download the album http://www.mediafire.com/?qnzte4jnoyy

Download at your own risk and enjoy