Big East

Condita (Naked Ear)
by Scott Hefflon

Naked Ear is a label run by and for the students at The New England Institute of Art in Brookline, MA. They’ve been putting out CDs since 1996 for bands like Toussaint, the China Band, and The Montgomerys. Don’t think we’ve ever reviewed any of their releases, and there’s probably a reason for that. Big East ain’t bad, but they sound like an unsigned rock band from Boston, which, for what it’s worth, is better than sounding like an unsigned band in most cities. They like the blues, heard a Smiths record somewhere along the line (“I’m Yer Dude”), and like to strum as well as “rock out.” There’s a harmonica on one song (and I wish there wasn’t), and there’s a female response to the call (and I wish there wasn’t), but good for them for giving it the old college try. Truth be told, there are tunes here as good as bad Black Crowes, and that’s still pretty good. The production is good, the singer hits all the notes, and the songs aren’t noticeably bad, they just aren’t especially noticeable.
(www.artinstitutes.edu/boston)