CD Review
Artist: Loose Change Trio
Title: Unstruck Note
Label: Independent
Released: February 29^th 2008 

3 ½ Stars

Reviewed By: Christopher Williams

From Vancouver, BC Loose Change Trio is in the hub of a great musical and ‘off the beaten track' music scene. So, Jazz roots and funk roots, a little spoken word and dramatics, will feel right at home on this western coast line community. Their debut album Unstruck Note is very professionally organized as the troop seem to have a heightened sense of detail in music and design. From the album cover, to the website, to the info pack and the music itself, these guys come across as pros.  

Unstruck Note is a highly eclectic album with playful and almost Vaudeville Jazz songs to stunning ballads and as I mentioned, a little spoken word as well. The spoken word track ‘Bob' is hilarious and although the ‘Not A Word Of A Lie' track was equally as great in story format , I'd beg any North American (trained or not) to avoid putting on a British accent; it truly is like chalk on a blackboard to a Brit. 

Easily the greatest talent found in Unstruck Note are the ballads. With such stunning and poetic ballads like ‘In My Baby's Arms,' ‘Emanuel' and ‘Lost By The Sea' one wanders why they didn't make the whole album in this similar vein. David Ward's voice is fabulous and the ballads really showcase the genuine talent at work.

Mostly, I found the manic flipping between spectacular ballads and almost jarring and unnatural upbeat Jazz tracks, with some comedic spoken word thrown in; almost too diverse, the album has little flow, one minute you are being wooed by a song, the next you are being snapped awake by the tempo of the following song. I know it can be hard in a music industry to showcase your talents, trying not to be over-categorized, but sometimes being simply unified into one straightforward approach can be an asset as well. If this had been a mostly ballad album, mostly upbeat Jazz album or a mostly spoken word album with a song of any other category thrown in, I would have enjoyed this Unstruck Note a whole lot more.  

Loose Change Trio is incredibly organized, professional, and incredible musicians and have a great vocalist in David Ward, but I couldn't quite figure out who they were at the heart of their being.
 
The Way It Is
Head Full Of Gasoline
Cast In Bronze
Headed Downtown
Monkeys On The Chain Gang
In My Baby's Arms
Enough Said
Emanuel
Downtown
Bone Glow
Bob
Not A Word Of A Lie
Dead Ringers
Music Maker
Lost By The Sea