Copeland's Latest a Curious Step Toward Uniqueness

No doubt the pressure was on for Aaron Marsh, front-man for the Florida-based Copeland, whose latest collection of songs about love and insomnia, Eat, Sleep, Repeat, will no doubt pull some fans closer and push others away. Having caught the eye of a major label, Columbia Records, and in the midst of touring relentlessly, Copeland had high expectations. But only a year and a half after their last album, In Motion, Copeland have managed to move in a fairly logical new direction with their latest work.

The results are curious, however. At times disjointed, at others dark and poignant, ESR will surprise anyone expecting the catchy, hook-heavy melodies Copeland were so comfortable with in their last album (there's no "Sleep" to sing along to this time). Instead, Marsh provides softer, warmer keyboard melodies on songs such as "Love Affair" and "The Last Time He Saw Dorie" that could just as easily make you cry as put you to sleep. The album's most radio-friendly track, "I'm A Sucker For A Kind Word," will sound the most familiar to songs in their previous albums, especially with it's guitar-heavy bridge and Marsh's signature melodic humming. But even then, Marsh speaks quite explicitly of self-doubt and entrapment.

Ironically, ESR's first single, "Control Freak," is perhaps the best representation of the new direction Copeland are taking with this album. The song is quite dark, and Marsh sings the chorus's "You're freakin' me out" with genuinely audible menace. And the opening track, "Where's My Head," speaks of a confused disoriented lover who searches for solace in a midnight snack. Not exactly upbeat, but then again, if you've followed Copeland from the beginning, you know what Marsh has been through (Beneath Medicine Tree was written when both his girlfriend and grandmother were in the hospital), so you can be fairly confident there will be some redemption by the end.

Enter the album's strongest track, the last one, "When You Though You'd Never Stand Out." Over familiar piano chords and sweeping guitar, Marsh reminisces about his childhood, perhaps in searching for the source of his insecurities he has just lain bare in the previous songs. The song breaks down toward the end, with a female vocal accompaniment to provide the reassuring "Didn't I find you when you were hiding out / Didn't I see you when you thought you'd never stand out." The band's genuineness is shown more here than perhaps on any other song they've done, and it's a great way to end the album.

As a whole, ESR is simply not that easy to get in to if you've grown accustomed to the heavy pop influences of their first two albums. The album definitely functions better as a whole than In Motion, which was little more than a collection of catchy, and occasionally really good, pop songs. But like any labor of love, it can grow on you if you let it and will provide an admittedly short, but rewarding, listening experience.