Altered Five - Gotta Earn It

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2012
Time:41:00 
Size:94,4 MB 
Label:Conclave/ Cold Wind Records 
Styles:Blues/ Blues Rock/Modern Electric Blues 
Art:Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Ain't That Peculiar - 4:36
 2. Three Wishes - 4:05
 3. You've Got to Earn It - 4:29
 4. Keep the Best - 3:55
 5. Older, Wiser, Richer - 4:08
 6. Mona Lisa - 3:53
 7. Tight Spot - 4:13
 8. Dynamite - 3:23
 9. Watch Yourself - 4:22
10. Bounce Back - 3:52

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called Altered Five “a staple of the Midwest’s band scene.” Their sophomore album, Gotta Earn It, showcases their bluesy, soulful feel, while offering a variety of different types of songs. The lyrics in this album have the affect of being both simple yet impactful. The first few tracks on Gotta Earn It introduce how talented each musician is both individually and as a group. However the first song that actually strikes you as more than just a typical blues song is “You’ve Got To Earn It,” which introduces a very fun and upbeat piano melody, but the vocals don’t quite match up to the music. “Keep the Best” and “Tight Spot” are two tracks that showcase lead singer Jeff Taylor’s voice very well, showing great range. However there are a few songs where the music outshines the vocals, where you can’t appreciate Taylor’s voice as much. Songs like “Dynamite” are so strong instrumentally, but don’t deliver to the same degree vocally. Gotta Earn It shines in its lyrics with simple rhymes like in “Bounce Back;” “I’m losing my grip but I won’t submit.” Lyrics like this are much more beautiful and powerful because of how simple they are.
Gotta Earn It succeeds in many ways, however has some vocal challenges. Overall, Altered Five’s sophomore album is an enjoyable album and fits well into the blues rock genre.

Gotta Earn It