The Gifted Children

Whitespace Differences

(Tinhorn Planet)

Record Review by Amber Henson

Is it better to fall in love with an album simply because of one song, then feel let down when the rest of it doesn’t quite suit your exact taste; or is it better to have never fallen in love at all?

Well, I guess I won’t be finding out that question today.  When track two, "Velvet Rope", started to play I was instantly ready to give the album five stars out of four, and couldn’t wait to hear what else was waiting for me.  It turned out, '80s epic metal, indie distortion, and technopop was waiting for me.  All of it very well put together, just not what I was prepared for.  You definitely cannot accuse The Gifted Children of not being eclectic.

"Velvet Rope", my new "listen to it over and over again" track, is a bit Mates of Statesish.  The female vocals follow the males. The song is super short at just over two minutes, but it is short and sweet.  The guitars are very Oohlas, and the lyrics are endearing: “I tried so hard to wend my way past your velvet rope.”

The Gifted Children are (not in order of their giftedness or children-ess) Jeff Suszczynski with vocals, guitars, and keyboards, Aaron Boucher on drums, Brett Dreyer and Russ Lloverme (uh, best last name EVER!) on guitar and Bill Trautman on bass.  Suszczynski is the songwriter also, and the female vocals I seem to be so enamored with are Pam Swart's.
In addition to intriguing lyrics (“You introduced me to your soundtrack kiss, with your cocaine lips”), Suszczynski (that is so hard to spell) seems to know his way around a keyboard, and gives us a whimsical instrumental track near the end of the album called "And Then Fold Homeward".  It sounds like I’m at Cirque De Soleil performance.
I guess everyone knows the old saying, ‘tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.  But I didn’t have to lose anything.  "Velvet Rope" can just be a single for me to keep with me, and the album can hold its ground as an impressive piece of artwork.