“Living in a Changed World” strikes a chord with its peaceful, old school sound

by Paul Bowers

Here’s a Rock band that’s not afraid to throw in some flutes and piccolos. Or Djembe drums. Or bagpipes.

Few bands can mix these instruments with the traditional guitars and drum set, but the humbles manage to make them all work together for a truly unique experience. After all, if Rock is going to undergo any change, somebody has to bend a few rules and do some experiments.

The humbles’ latest album, “Living in a Changed World,” is at once serene and progressively modern. With bright, melodic guitars and generally blissful lyrics, their songs reflect back on simpler times. But out-there instrumentation and intermittent electric guitar riffs keep them grounded in present-day musical context.

A definite “peace and love” thread is obvious in every song on the album, possibly hinting that the hippie movement never really died. Don’t get me wrong; they don’t sound like the Partridge Family, but these guys stray far from the mainstream with optimistic songwriting that opposes the views of a negative society. Their message is not one of angst, depression, or jaded cynicism, as is commonly the case with today’s bands. Instead, they offer up heartfelt melodies full of hope and encouragement.

The album’s sound is anything but shallowly cheerful, though. The guitars (acoustic, electric, 12 string, backward, mandolin, fretless and bass) are played with obvious skill and convey true emotional depth. From the catchy, repeating electric riff in “My Point of View” to the Hendrix-esque solos in “Velvet Sky” to the simple acoustic chord progression of “Lay Your Anger Down,” every song on the album shows a maturity of skill in every band member.

Listening to “Living in a Changed World,” the band’s name “the humbles” seems fitting. Each of the four musicians blends their music modestly, meshing together to create subtly sweet harmony. These are not your typical rock stars; they’re anything but showy.

Several times in the album, unusual instruments are used to create vividly immersive sounds. When the bagpipes kick in during “My Way Home,” it doesn’t seem awkward. The backward electric guitar in “Life Goes On” creates an eerily funky sound, and the digitally reversed ending tacked onto the end fits well with the overall effect of the song. Each song flows smoothly from beginning to end with a natural progression.

The album crosses the full spectrum from introspective poetry to energetic cries for peace. The transparent feelings of “My Way Home” (“Time can change in a instant/ And time can change on its own”) deliver a message of the wisdom that can be gained from tragedy. The lighter “Feeling the Pain” (“All I do is dream of you/ And all I see is you there by me”) is an upbeat, straightforward love song. The largely acoustic “Lay Your Anger Down” is reminiscent of ‘60’s protest songs (“John sang about it long ago/ He sang about the peace we want to know”) and calls for action to bring about peace.

The overall feeling of “Living in a Changed World” is positive and thoughtful; the message can’t be missed. But even more impressive is the musicianship. Every instrument is clearly played by a mature, skilled artist.

But this CD isn’t for everyone. It’s good, clean Rock, but younger listeners may be turned off by the ambitiously optimistic sound. Those looking for tunes full of bitter emotion should look elsewhere; this is not the Blues, and this is not a garage band.

The humbles’ approach to Rock is summed up by their lyrics, “Take it with a grain of salt/ If I’m wrong it’s not my fault/ It’s just my point of view.” Their calm, well-composed style goes against the grain of an unhappy society, and the result is a superb, uplifting album.