So, you’re tired of buying new albums with no real choices at bloated costs. Unfortunately, the most commercially available music tends to be the least engaging. The current trend of head-splitting nu-metal may not suit you … maybe all this pop is too sappy for your palate.

But, decent music for a reasonable price may be right at your fingertips. Sample Loyal Blue’s 2001 release Eclipse for a new, diverse element, somewhere between the extremes.

The boys of Loyal Blue made their first album out of their evident creativity and talent. After speaking with guitarist/vocalist Eric Schooff, however, one comes to understand that Loyal Blue was a project born out of friendship. The band has put nearly a lifetime of work into this first album.

Interviewed by The Badger Herald via e-mail, Schoof explains that he and kindergarten pal Michael Mood spent most of their childhood playing piano, singing and “cooperating with [their] musical knowledge.” Always making sure to keep a band going, the duo recruited several guitar and bass players throughout most of junior high school.

The Janesville-based band, which mostly played covers at its shows, performed under various names such as The Roman Cows and Fifty Newton Cat.

Once Greg Tucker became the official bass player for Loyal Blue during the ’99-’00 school year, Mood and Schooff began writing their own material. That spring, they wrote their first 10 songs, nine of which appear on Eclipse.

The album, produced by Whitewater’s Stoic Media, took several months to produce. The labor of love was released in April of 2001. More recently, the band has played its shows with substitute bass players, since Tucker moved away after the release of Eclipse. Back in Janesville, Loyal Blue has developed a significant fan base and hopes to plan some shows in the Madison area soon.

Loyal Blue is truly an ensemble effort. All the music and lyrics written by Schooff and drummer/pianist Mike Mood are accessible and honest. Schooff describes the band’s chemistry: “I think that our band works quite well because Michael and I are so comfortable in playing music together. Since we’ve been playing for so long, we have a lot of the same visions about the music we write, as well as how we perform them.”

Schooff explains that making an album right away helped inform the group about the recording process. He humbly noted, “This knowledge will come in handy in the future projects we hope to do. We’re hoping to branch out into the progressive-rock genre in the future. We would like to make a living at making this kind of music, so hopefully there’s a chance of that.”

Astonishingly, none of the band members have been formally trained on their main instruments, yet the music reflects a broad spectrum of styles and tastes.

Schooff claims that the band has been “strongly influenced” by bands like A Perfect Circle, Better Than Ezra, Tool, Tonic, Ben Folds Five, The Deftones, Dishwalla, Fuel, Incubus, Jars of Clay, Live, Our Lady Peace and Stabbing Westward, just to name a few.

Schooff aptly describes the band’s competence in developing a variety to their repertoire.

“The songs that include the entire band are generally not so loud to be ‘offensive’ to the people that don’t like the angry metal that is so popular today,” he says. “But it’s not completely soft and soothing. It’s quite a good balance of both. The piano songs add a good dimension to the CD.”

On Eclipse, you’ll hear an array of styles ranging anywhere from down-tempo, piano-driven melodic pop to driving, metal-inspired guitar riffs — sometimes in the same song. The album’s instrumentation is not only impressive, but also remarkably beautiful.

Schooff’s vocals, which reflect a confidence in musical phrasing as well as lyrical expression, soar effortlessly. The flawless and sophisticated piano structures are particularly noteworthy on tracks like “Previous Occupant” and “Darkest Days.”

The entire album showcases a wide variety of tempos and volumes, keeping the listener engaged. The overall balance and mixing of the album is pristine; the clean production brings out the best of each instrument, a noble effort for the band’s first project.

Support local music and contact [email protected] to find out more about Loyal Blue. The album is available for $8.