A Moment's Worth - Start Where You Are Release Date: September 1, 2010
Record Label: Unsigned
Some bands just progress naturally. Ironically, these are the bands that are the most static in our music scene. Static in the sense that they continue to make good music and they stick around as prominent figures in the minds of listeners. Think about it; bands who make artistic leaps from record to record keep your attention and are for the most part regarded as more talented than bands who lack a dynamic shift in style or substance from album to album.
While A Moment's Worth isn't as well-known as other bands who are notorious for their ever-constant maturation, the Bronx, New York five-piece has shown maturity between each of their releases. Their latest full length effort, Start Where You Are, is a leap toward a more electric-based, ambient rock sound. However, the drive and aggression found in 2008's Sleepless is still present, making for a new mix which is as enjoyable as it is creative.
Opener "A Place Where There Was..." is a sweeping electronic number. It shows A Moment's Worth's style of electronics, which is much more notable than the style of most bands that go for this sound. The opening track is a good lead-in to the title track, which shows a more straightforward rock sound. Vocalist Alex Bondarev has the pipes to match both the fragile electronic tracks and the driving rock choruses that A Moment's Worth bring to the table. The title track provides both of those extremes.
The aptly titled "Favorite Song" is one of the standouts on Start Where You Are, bringing forth one of the catchiest choruses the band has written. It's a bit danceable courtesy of Frank Quarto's frantic drum work and Bondarev and Anthony Albanese's guitar lines. The background vocals in the chorus are a nice touch as well. Start Where You Are has several songs with effects and added touches that take a backseat in the grand scheme of things but are a pleasure to discover upon repeat listens. This is definitely an album meant for headphone listening.
"Push" gives the album another brilliantly arranged electronic-based song, showcasing the fantastic production on this record. For an unsigned band, A Moment's Worth has admirably developed its own sound and has successfully executed it in the studio. The slow-tempo "Hero" and bopping "Dedicate" are two more highlights, as Start Where You Are benefits tremendously from its tracking. The album feels complete, as though these songs couldn't have fit in any other order. The best song on the record is "...Nowhere Left to Go", where A Moment's Worth take all of their best qualities and compile them into a driving track that climaxes in a spoken-word bridge.
In the end, A Moment's Worth might not have released the best album this year, but they released a hell of a good one and I see no real reason why this band should remain unsigned. While there are missteps on Start Where You Are, the elite tracks on the album make it worth the $5 download on Bandcamp. For the Bronx quintet, it seems like they have found a place to start, and hopefully they can get the ball rolling in the future to capitalize on their through-the-roof potential.
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