The Make - This Box EP
Record Label: Suspended Sunrise Records
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2011
There's nothing wrong with a little splash of California pop every now and then. And with the release of their debut EP, Chico, CA's The Make, looks to reinvigorate the Northern California pop landscape. Vocalist and principal songwriter Jeff Schneeweiss (ex-Number One Gun) infuses elements of soul and R&B on the trio's five-song debut EP This Box. The rest of The Make's lineup includes former NOG bandmate Trevor Sellers on bass and ex-See You Soon frontwoman Sarah Ann, on keys and guitars.
The EP opens up with the hip-shaking "Get It," a breezy, sun-drenched singalong that utilizes a playful opening guitar lick and a rousing chorus. The titular track employs a mellow acoustic guitar riff straight out of the Justin Nozuka playbook. Schneeweiss' can't-miss vocals unravel a yarn about friendship and fraternity that's warm, gooey and prime for terrestrial radio. Exquisitely produced, it is a harmless paean to late 90s radio and an amiable and inspiring listen.
"Color," a sensual and maudlin acoustic ballad is the EP's tearjerker and an homage to hindsight that throws out lines like "Do you remember my favorite color? And the name of my mother? Hold that feeling and just see." If anything, the song showcases Schneeweiss' brilliant falsetto and the trio's ability to think outside of the proverbial box.
The jangle and urgent "Spin City," succeeds "Color," and revisits the splashy, caffeinated buzz of "Get It." While it is slightly deeper and probes the depths of self-introspection, there is still a sense that The Make have yet to tap into their full potential. That question is answered though on the horn-drenched closer "Bad," a playful and plinky ode to finding clarity amid life's unexpected turns.
Presently, The Make are attracting hordes of new fans because the trio is signed to Suspended Sunrise Records, a label co-owned and co-founded by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And while the quarterback's celebrity status is a great marketing tool, one simple fact remains. The Make are richly talented and posses a polish and sheen that is hard to resist. Having just formed less than a year ago, there is more than enough reason to think that with enough time, the trio just might reinvent the NoCal-pop playbook.
I love this EP - cannot wait for a full record. He has always been one of my favorites in the genre. Are there plans to do another Number One Gun record as well, or was the last one his last?
I never heard anything about NOG officially being done, but they'll definitely be on the backburner for awhile while The Make is on the rise. Love this EP, and definitely looking forward to the full length.
This EP is really good, anything Jeff Schneeweis does is amazing and this is nothing short! although I do wish Number One Gun would put forth a new record too. Keep pumping out the good shit.
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