OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS ANDF VIEWS : Cause and Effect’s First-Class ‘Trip’

Teen review of books, music, movies and other things of interest.

Cause and Effect’s latest album, “Trip,” represents a giant step in a different direction for the band. They were, of course, known as one of the many Depeche Mode sound-alikes, in the same batch as groups such as Camouflage. But “Trip” is different, and, even though the sound of the voices is reminiscent of classic Depeche, it is an artistically deep album.

The first single, “It’s Over Now,” has had some mild success, but not near what it deserves. It is neither a ballad nor a fast-paced dance track, but rather one of those songs that falls in the mid-tempo. The tranquil, ambient beginning is interrupted by a single beat and followed by sirens, setting the mood not only for the song, but for the entire album.

There seems to be a sense of the anger and bewilderment that has typified the music of the ‘90s. Almost all 10 songs on the album convey a search for a purpose in life or for a higher meaning. With this type of subject matter, it is not surprising that none of the songs is truly uplifting. Instead, they seem to leave the listener a little bit down from where they were. That is not to say that the album’s purpose is to depress. It doesn’t. It just touches upon matters that are too serious to get outrageously happy about.

For the most part, this is a great album to listen to when you just want to hear something different from dance music or grunge. The slower songs are never dull and don’t ever get soporific. The only complaint is that the songs tend to run together if you aren’t listening closely to the lyrics. One song pretty much sounds like the last--and the next one--until you get to know them.

This review first appeared in the student newspaper, the Oiler.