Posted: December 15th, 2007
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ iTunes
	Presence is: Jay Slim (Vocals) Dan Fulmer (Guitar) DJ Stange (Bass) Nick Wells (Drums)

Overview: Remember Presence? The band stepped on the field to play back in 2003, when Curb Records released their debut effort ‘Rise‘ to a strong reception and critical acclaim; the thick fusion of funk, hard rock, and rapped verses was, at the time, a much needed breath of fresh air. Presence spent time writing and recording for their sophomore release, but few thought it would be such a taxing experience. The album was pushed back incessantly, and Presence responded by posting a rotation of songs from the album online. Every time Curb lined up a formal release date for Presence’s second album, it fell to pieces, and the band and said label eventually nixed the contract. Presence spent a good chunk of time “in limbo”, but decided to pursue the release of their eponymous second effort. Eventually, the album was finally available for purchase on iTunes in late 2006, but Presence decided to call it a day shortly thereafter. Each member of Presence has gone on to form or join different projects, most notably bassist D.J. Stange teaming up with 12 Stones for a short time.

The Good: The first thing you will notice upon purchasing-er, excuse my consumer faux pas-”digitally downloading” ‘Presence‘ is the band’s complete 180 in song and style. The bouncy rock and funk patterns matched with aggressively delivered vocals that structured ‘Rise’ are substituted by a more straight-forward rock approach; although the band significantly alters its technique, the guys of Presence are still able to conjure a solid amalgam of tunes. ‘Presence’ welcomes you to the party with “Your Song”, a driving and energetic track that efficiently sets the tone. “Ride” couples exploratory verses with upbeat, anthem-driven choruses, complete with blistering screams courtesy of Jay Slim. Presence continues to build its dynamic canvas with “Better Off”, where a ‘Rise‘-era intro dissolves astutely into haunting, atmospheric verse and chorus structures. Presence prove they can strip down and flip the tape on melancholy without flat lining, as you will hear in the reflective and well-written “Cold December” the soulful and heartfelt “Please Don’t Leave”. The album shows a mature sense of contrast, as the aforementioned mellow tunes that play during the core of the record are followed by frenzied jolts of visceral rock that keep the listener on his or her toes. “Escape” is one of the disc’s-er, the “digital album’s”-most memorable cuts, as its forceful and frenetic disposition, aided again by a pugnacious Slim scream, segues succinctly into “Can U Hear Me Now”, a song which Hoobastank would love to get their paws on. ‘Presence‘ is highlighted by a precise and well implemented cover of Rockwell’s unforgettable song “Somebody’s Watching Me”, as Presence’s version emanates tight musicianship and a keen attention to detail. The album closes with “In My Room”, a tongue-in-cheek ender that not so slyly blasts to the past and emanates ‘Rise‘-era patterns with grace.

The Bad: It was understandable that Presence would jettison the rap/rock tandem for a more commercial rock angle, but perhaps the band would have benefited from remaining on the path they had already paved; their best efforts to pass as a noteworthy hard rock trio are challenged by the album’s primitive nature and lack of direction. Although Presence is able to pull off the transition smoothly, many of the songs from ‘Presence‘ seem stale and disjointed, as if the band was not quite comfortable in its own skin. Infact at times when Presence borrows from the styles of ‘Rise‘, they sound most on top of their game and in the driver’s seat; sadly, for every “Can U Hear Me Now” on the album there are a handful of wispy misfires such as the painfully crooned “Down the Road” and the listless “Common Ground”. Even when Presence seem to have a solid handle on their newfound approach, the songs sound far too dated and monotonous to really warrant repeat listens. Sure, Presence does have its moments and should be applauded for making such a drastic change in sound, but more often than not, the band is swept away by the tides as they attempt to ford the river and bridge the past and present together. A wolf in sheep’s clothing?-No. But a clearly evident struggle to find solace and comfort in their change of direction-You bet.

Bottomline: Critic aside, you have to feel for Presence, watching the fiascos and turmoil of getting this album to the public cause the band’s ultimate demise. Nevertheless, Presence echo the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, as their shot at standard-fare, all too familiar heavy modern rock is just that-standard-fare and all too familiar. The album has its bright spots, but as quickly as you hear the band jelling and finding their niche, you are sure to hear them unravel and struggle to keep their heads above water. No fault of their own, but because of the delays of putting ‘Presence‘ on iTunes, a bulk of the album’s material became irrelevant to the time frame, as the album sounds best fit for release ironically enough around the time ‘Rise‘ made it to stores. It is evident that Presence had good intentions with ‘Presence‘, and the quartet has undeniable talent, but despite all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the trinity of the band, the label, and the album release, there is really nothing here that can move mountains, and ‘Presence‘ sad to say, represents more of a band needing to move on to other things rather than fight for an album that was destined for bargain bins.

Rating: 5 out of 10