The clock ticks, the countdown has begun and the Ruse is ready to explode.
Comfortably resting on the cusp of national acclaim, this L.A.-based quartet outfits a sound so shattering it will fracture the spine of the American music scene. Original yet familiar, structured yet erratic, the Ruse is more than just a band — it's a phenomenon waiting to take the country by storm.
The Ruse, like any well-planned, low-budget marketing scheme, began its journey to success by slowly infiltrating its pungent product into key geographical hotspots, building a solid fan base in New York City, D.C., Atlanta and Los Angeles. Then, relying mainly on a grassroots, word-of-mouth kind of campaign to gain mainstream acceptance, the band released its independent sophomore album, Light in Motion, in February and is now fastened to a tour bus, watching through the windows as its position changes from local likeable to national sensation.
Unconfined to any specific genre or style, the group is most reminiscent of an Americanized version of U2 or Coldplay — and, much like Coldplay, the Ruse crafts a mind-numbing sound by penetrating a haunting mentality into its music. But unlike the band's British counterparts, the Americans provoke such a state of emotional unrest in a rather elevating manner. Imagine contemplating suicide via a karaoke machine. Their sound is so deep, so introspective, yet always edging toward effervescence.
Consistency prevails through the entirety of Light in Motion, and the album's solidity reflects the band's capability of establishing equilibrium between the painfully depressive and the overly optimistic. All 10 tracks balance shortness with sweetness and, infused with passionate power from all aspects of the recording process, this album establishes itself as nothing less than a concise masterpiece.
But it's not just the album's cohesion that constructs its success; the youthful quartet, precocious and poignant, stretches the realm of maturity in terms of raw musical endowment. Frontman John Dauer's multiple-octave, sexy and soulful voice employs lingering vocals unforgotten by the album's end. Dauer is accompanied by guitarist/songwriter Jim Bilus, bassist Mark Stolze and percussionist Jason Young, four young gentlemen with enough innate talent to make it on their own but who instead work together to pioneer a musical revolution.
The track "Everything Comes at a Price" kicks off the album with a rather morose mood, but eventually collides with a revitalizing chorus, never foregoing Stolze's riveting bass as the song's backbone.
"Swallow You" lightens the tone with its strolling-down-the-sidewalk reflective pace, while "Light You Up" works with guitar riffs and a fluctuating, up-scale tempo, trumpeting the band's ability to manifest diversity without losing consistency.
Without the assistance and resources of a major label, the brilliance of Light in Motion just goes to show that even as indie rock progresses to mainstream convention, authentic musical ingenuity hasn't completely perished. The band's complete do-it-yourself set-up feeds the album's organic vibe, reminiscent of the days before the bottomless appetite of corporate go-getters' governed music.
Even lyrically the album fails to lack. Whether fervently crying out to a lover on "Devil in the Girl" ("And I'll follow you through the fire to the light / through the river to the gates where day becomes the night"), repeatedly refusing to forget on "Don't Let it Fade Away" ("Show me places nobody fears / fallen faces can't wipe away tears") or reluctantly reflecting on a father figure on "Hold Tight" ("When I walk through these streets watching all the motion / I know you've done this before with a young man's devotion"), the Ruse effortlessly manages to craft a creative spin on otherwise cliché content.
Light in Motion reaches its pinnacle with "Goodbye." Just shy of four minutes, this track embodies soul. It is a majestic ear-candy number, brilliantly composed and exemplifying Dauer's reaching vocals as they melt into listeners' innermost spirits.
If the Ruse fails to make waves nationally, it will be more the fault of a lack of funds in a money-hungry society than lack of talent. And they could always try success across the ocean, as the band sounds so British one would expect crooked teeth and biscuits in their back pockets.
But if all goes well at home, the Ruse can do to America what the Shins did to “Garden State” — dominate. They boast the capability to accessorize the rather predictable and humdrum airwaves with their mind-blowing edge and staggering stamina.
So pour a stiff drink, layer up the wool socks, cuddle close to the fire and press play, because the Ruse is guaranteed to leave its listeners shivering with emotion.
Rating: 5 out of 5
