Company of Thieves isn’t a bad band. They’ve got the whole writing hooks, lyrics and catchy choruses bit down, but the fatal flaw is the band’s radio-friendly sound…or really, their lack of any distinct sound at all. While the band is world’s ahead of the vast majority of major label bands pushed on the airwaves, the indistinctive vocals, conventional production and lack of any real edge in the compositions keeps this band from qualifying as anything to really pay attention to. 
Competent, but not quite compelling is the best way to define Company of Thieves and their album Ordinary Riches. In a way, it’s a little harsh on the band to call their sound bland, but Company of Thieves never really indulge in anything that would give the band some kind of character: the guitars are suitably distorted, the melodies are rarely notable, rhythm section is basically standard, and no quirks or idiosyncrasies ever seem to make themselves apparent. Singer Genevieve Schatz’ voice doesn’t help the situation either, sounding, again, competent but just not compelling. The closest comparison I could think of to her smoky warble was Emily Haines’ lithe trill, but really that isn’t even a fair comparison. Even so, someone who listens to the radio (I’d rather suffer Chinese water torture) could probably name a dozen or so sound-a-likes.
At times, the band admittedly comes close to escaping mediocrity with a showing of surprisingly intelligent lyrics and sharply written melodies. In “Oscar Wildeâ€, Schatz quotes the legendary playwright for the song’s chorus, singing, “We are all our own devils / and we make this world our hell.†She may not deserve any credit for originality, but the fact that she manages to create and place the quote in such a fitting context wins her some credit. “Quiet On The Front†also shows some promise in the form of a bouncy pre-chorus section in which Schatz sings, “I swear to G-d, if you don’t get that letter / I will kill myself before they kill me on the line.†It sounds almost like an excerpt from a Brecht musical. “Around The Block†also has some surprisingly nimble melodic twists which almost help it overcome its Disney Channel arrangements.
Unfortunately, the rest of Ordinary Riches is just that: ordinary. Schatz and company should’ve gone by another Wilde quote – “Talent borrows. Genius steals.†-and stolen a little more personality.
Ordinary Riches is out February 24th on Wind-Up Records.
Tracklisting:
01. Old Letters
02. In Passing
03. Oscar Wilde
04. Quiet on the Front
05. Pressure
06. Around the Block
07. Even in the Dark
08. Under the Umbrella
09. Past the Sleep
10. The Fire Song
11. The Tornado Song
12. New Letters
Company of Thieves: website | myspace
Hmmm… This is a typical reveiw given by someone who listens to music on their laptop with speakers the size of their nostrils.
Your reviews seem to hit the usual notes of those inflicted with the defect of tonedeafness.
Try again.
I personally find it creepy DB that you were in Marc’s room as he was writing his review. I mean you must have been in order to know the size of the speakers he used, and that he has a laptop and not a standard desktop.
Also, as an otologists, which you must be since you’re skilled in the art of knowing that Marc is tone deaf, I would think you would have very little time to sneak around, stalking young journalists. You must have meetings and appointments right?
But, sadly, what you’re not skilled at is knowing everything there is to know regarding music. We tried to like this band. There was a chance they’d be good. But the truth of the matter is that they sound a lot like a poor man’s version of Regina Spektor and Racheal Yamagata, if the two of them sold out and tried to make it as Ingrid Michaelson who was playing in a band with Santana. This is your typical radio album, overproduced and shoved in your face in order to boost the receding record sells in a struggling economy. Face it man, your love for them in one step above you buying a Nickleback record.
But hell, since you love them, check out my interview with them. It should be up in March.
are we not allowed to listen to music on laptops? Speakers the size of nostrils? Aren’t those called “headphones”?
Really, this review should’ve gone to rockwellkent because that regina spektor comparison is exactly what I was looking for but i missed it, grrr!
Yeah, no, my reviews of late haven’t been up to par though, I’m gonna seriously try to improve so if you wanna email me some pointers on how to write good reviews because you’re a music-review-writing-professor that’d be very kind of you.
Unfortunately I will continue to listen to music both on my laptop and with “nostril-size speakers” aka headphones. That’s just the way it goes
you haven’t the slightest idea about what a band is about, you are so hung up on sales and not sales that THIS ART ESACAPES you, it is ok that ypou are not open, everyone else is, so enjoy your new indy label as they screw you out of 20 minutes and a cheap ticket over and over and definitely DO NOT pay any attention to Company of Thieves because they have no talent, no soul and no originality just like your stupid fucking website. Without a decent appraoch SEO you’d be nowhere!
I can’t believe what I’m reading! I found this cd to be one of the most refreshing cd’s I’ve heard in a very long time. A very long time and I would encourage everyone to give them a listen and not just take one person’s opinion.
you guys are being kind of ridiculous. Kalie, everyone has the ability to make up their mind for themselves. If you would like to tell people that you like this CD, instead of trying to discredit a review you read, you should write your own review, and people will decide for themselves what they think, just as you said they should. And buncha bozos, most of what you said doesn’t even make sense. Firstly, I got paid nothing for writing this review. How can I be “hung up on sales and not sales”? Particularly when for some reason Company Of Thieves seem to be getting the most advertising I’ve ever seen for a new band, with adds on facebook, myspace and contests on sites including this one. Clearly I’m not open? Open to what? Open to giving music I don’t like a good review? I made sure to give this band credit where credit was do. I made a particular effort on that front. I was clearly more open than I needed to be.
Company of Thieves are three Midwesterners from Chicago and have released their debut, Ordinary Riches, through Wind-up Records (Evanescence, Finger Eleven, etc.). It seems this trio has come out of nowhere considering I’ve had trouble finding some informative reading material about the group, despite the fact Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world. I did, however, see they debuted on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart at #5. That has to be some kind of representation for promise.
The best aspect about this trio is singer Genevieve Schatz. She has a wispy, soulful voice and clearly has a lot of talent. If it weren’t 2009, I’d expect her to be singing in front of an old rockabilly microphone (go ahead and Google it). Schatz has that airy twang from decades ago. Even her photo in the album’s liner notes gives her a plain, flower girl-esque image.
As far as the sound goes, there really isn’t one song I have to skip back to again and again. On the contrary, I will say the bluesy soloing guitar in the latter half of “Under The Umbrella” is impressive, as well as the harmonizing [backing] vocals. Start to finish, the instruments don’t exactly jump out and grab you – a little distortion here, some gentle strumming and percussion there, but nothing spectacular. The production is done well, however. Granted, production can only take a band so far, but it doesn’t go unappreciated. It’s just too bad the album as a whole isn’t memorable, vocals aside.
While polished, Ordinary Riches is a so-so indie effort, and Schatz just isn’t the right fit for this alternative rock, poppy sound. Company of Thieves need to appropriately complement Schatz’s talent if they’re going to thrive as a complete package.
I do believe this article is completely ridiculous. One of the aspects that drew me to this band was their difference in sound. The vocals are astounding and the instruments that accompany her are just as impressive.
When I heard Oscar Wilde, I thought it was a toned-down regina spektor singing.