Change Your Face Or Change Your Name

The band Fletcher, hailing from Oxford, Mississippi, not only changed their face (sound), but they changed their name as well. They decided to change their name from Fletcher to Colour Revolt. The new name suits them well, for what reason, well frankly, I don't know. I do know that it is fun to say, try it. "Colour Revolt," it rolls off the tongue like butter. The name "Colour Revolt," comes from Edwin Abbott's social commentary, Flatland: An Exploration of Life In Two Dimensions. But like it says on Colour Revolt's website, "they are far from two-dimensional." Fletcher was considered by many to be a guitar driven alternative/math-rock band, however, Colour Revolt set their sales to the land of the melancholy. But don't take me too literally when I say "melancholy."

Their music has mass amounts of energy. It's a fuse of passionate screams, hearty falsetto's, dueling guitars, driving/intricate baseline's, and dynamic drums that seem mend the sound into one magnificent musical idea. The instrumental masterminds behind Colour Revolt are: Jimmy Cajoleas (guitar), Len Clark (drums), Jesse Coppenbarger (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, vibes), Sean Kirkpatrick (guitar, vocals, piano) and Drew Mellon (bass, synthesizer).

The tasty sounds that they produced are totally RAW. The band seems to really know how to use their equipment. The EP is full of crazy recording techniques that are, in my opinion, reminiscent of the Beatles studio creativity. The beautiful feedback, the dry vocals, the out of control reverb...Etc. Colour Revolt helped produce the album with engineer and producer Steven Bevilaqua (former bass player in Fletcher). The music isn't the only good thing though, the words have value as well.

The lyrics speak imagery into the thick musical atmosphere that the CR guys have created. The beauty in the lyrics is that they are not simple, and that they could mean many different things to many different people. Personally, I would love to know what singer, Jesse Coppenbarger was writing about in each song, but I also like interpreting them in my own way. The spiritual presence in Coppenbarger's writing is obvious, and it makes sense if one listens to Fletcher's "Friends Don't Speak," which contains obvious references to belief in God.

In a review by Daniel Brantley from chattanoogen.com, Brantley says, "During “Blood in Your Mouth” when Coppenbarger screams, “lions as birds / protecting what we know of works / they say our feet were meant for dirt / I disagree,” I feel there is something of great spiritual weight in the lines, and I am anxious to determine what exactly that is. My fear is that these lines are nonsense – but I am hopeful my fears will be relieved as I age and grow in wisdom." I think Coppenbarger's lyrics are meaningful, not always fully comprehensive, but nonetheless they do contain meaning...whether it be universal meaning or meaning that is subject to himself.

I long to see them live, but until that day I have their album that beats the live show of many so-called "great" artists. I've heard it said, "All this band is lacking is exposure. " I think that statement is quiet true. I can't think of anything I would change about their EP. They are working hard, creating good music, and playing with sweet bands. They are going to get plenty of exposure. Trust me.

-Benjamin James

Please visit their myspace or their website. You can purchase their cd at most stores, and you can order it online via amazon.com, insound.com, and esperanzaplantation.com to name a few.

Here are some songs from their latest EP

Blood In Your Mouth
Mattresses Underwater
A New Family
Our Homes and Graves