OurAfter: Plenty of Passion 
By Alan K. Stout of The Weekender

No sense in beating around the bush this week: "Pe...
No sense in beating around the bush this week: "Perfect Day", the debut CD from the new band OurAfter, is clearly one of the best regionally-released CDs this year.

In fact, it's one of the best CDs I've heard in a long time, anywhere.

The highly melodic album is crafty and smart. The arrangements are clever, the lyrics and vocals are passionate, the musicianship is top notch and the production is excellent. And make no mistake: this is not your average, overly-formulated, soup-of-the-day modern-rock stuff. Its influences seem to run much deeper, and its songs have more to say. It is an album that, lyrically, isn't afraid to be romantic and vulnerable, yet also sometimes comes with a touch of bravado.

More than anything, it offers true and honest songwriting.

We wanted people to relate to this record - to get a little more in depth, a little more moody, a little more emotional, says vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist John Phillips. We just wanted to make sure we put out a product that was going to be different than what is being put out in this area. Something that we felt was polished, and grasped the band as well as possible.

OurAfter, whose members have played with acts such as UUU, The Collective and Dakota, also features Zhenon Zaia on bass, vocals and synths; Mike Dudley on lead and rhythm guitars, "C.J." Clyde Rosencrance on rhythm guitars and vocals and Eli Hludzik on drums and percussion. Surprisingly, the group was formed in 2003, long before some of its members had left their previous bands.

I was more or less doing it for personal, artistic creativity, says Phillips, who adds that while he loved his time with UUU, he always had a strong desire to release a product of original material.

After a while, after constantly being in the studio, and with all of us working together, and with certain elements coming together they way they did, it wound up really being a band. Right when UUU ended, it was more or less a blessing is disguise, because I wanted to launch this. The band really wanted to start performing.

Phillips says work on the CD also began in 2003. Sessions, including recording and mixing, were held at Sound Investments studio in Scranton. Additional production and mixing was done in Los Angeles. Highlights of the 10-track album include "Karma", "Candles", "Rain", "Confessions", and the soaring "Circles". Some have compared the music to that of Coldplay, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins and The Killers.

Phillips, who serves as the band's primary lyricist, says the group's music is a collective effort that leans more towards the pop-rock-alterative flavor. Unlike some modern-rock acts, he says the band is quite comfortable spicing its songs with the use of keyboards to add texture and mood. Lyrically, the songs encompass regional themes, political themes, romantic themes and even themes of faith and spirituality.

The group's CD release party, set for this Sunday at Tink's in Scranton, has been a well-planned event several months in the making, and Phillips says Our After and the other four acts on the bill are stoked and ready to roll.

The biggest thing that I want people to get from that night is to walk away and say "That show on May 28 was a great time", he says. It's an original night and an event that hopefully generates a little more buzz on the scene up here.

And what does he hope listeners will get out of "Perfect Day"? How does he hope people will connect with the music?

There's a lot of things that play into it", he says. "Honestly, the fans are going to have to look into it just as hard on their own. With some of the lyrics in some of the songs, it"s about getting to understand their own personal surroundings. I'll be happy if, out of all of this, just one person would sit down and understand the lyrics, or would even sing along with the songs. If they would like it that much, then my job is done."

Mission accomplished, Mr. Phillips.

"Perfect Day" is an excellent CD, and it seems you've got yourself one hell of a band.

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