Invoking Michelangelo

The Floating Men's second studio album begins with some finely played, classically influenced guitar, luring the listener into "The Idle Hours," songwriter Jeff Holmes' poetic tale of lust and lies. Holmes' dark, somber vocals caress his lyrical imagery like the lovers in the song, and a mere four minutes into Invoking Michelangelo (which draws its name from a lyric in that opening song), you realize that you've never heard music quite like this before. Bubbling up from the Nashville rock underground, the Floating Men's unique sound has more in common with folk songwriting and performance than the city's country and roots rock traditions. The three bandmembers play every song acoustically, both on stage and on the album, delivering the material with a ferocity that belies the seemingly genteel nature of acoustic instrumentation. Holmes is a master wordsmith, his erudite lyrics relating stories rich with provocative imagery and emotion. Invoking Michelangelo is a conceptual album, focusing on the uncertainties of the universal passage into adulthood. Holmes' carefully crafted songs reflect the ongoing struggle between one's youth and one's adulthood, the various characters that people the album facing the responsibilities and changes of growing up in the various narratives. Love and romance, betrayal and redemption are at the center of Invoking Michelangelo's universe. The voice of "A Married Man" tries to balance the thrill of the courtship with the comfort of marriage, while "Don't Save Me" is a rollicking tale of unrequited love (and lust). "A Married Man (Pt. 2)" is a sort of morality play, a sequel to the earlier song where the faithful husband questions his matrimonial loyalty. With "The Call of the Wild," the hero symbolically lets go of his youth in the form of a young woman that he loves but knows that he can never change. When Invoking Michelangelo closes with "The Fire Escape," Holmes' mythical protagonist stands reflectively on the brink of adulthood, quietly accepting a fate that nobody can escape. It's heady subject matter to be tackled by a folk-rock trio, but Jeff Holmes, bassist Scot Evans, and drummer Jeff Bishop do so with quite a bit of finesse and a completely original perspective on the subject matter. They also make a heck of a lot of noise for three guys with acoustic instruments. ~ Rev. Keith A. Gordon, Rovi