Priorities are important, especially for young college students who have to balance school, work, and friendships; that's why I rushed out to purchase Everyone's Beautiful the day after it was released. This is Waterdeep's debut with Squint Entertainment after two independent projects that gave the band a substantial following.
As a band, Waterdeep has been constantly changing, resulting in a sound that is difficult to define. Musically, Everyone's Beautiful draws from a broad palette. There are elements of modern rock, especially noticeable in the loud electric guitars on songs like 'Confessions of a Broken Down Man' and 'Wicked Web.' This earthly energy is balanced by the airy tones of songs like 'Go Find John.' Various acoustic, folk/rock songs like 'Hush' and 'Sweet River Roll' complete the mix.
Lyrically, the band's message can be summarized, "Life sucks, enter God," or as Don Chaffer sings in the chorus of the title track, "Still they were beautiful/ Everyone's beautiful/All of us crawling on hands and knees in need of you." Overall, Waterdeep avoids the lyrical pitfalls both of offering easy words of comfort, or of falling into an overwhelming despair.
In many ways, it is misleading to think of Everyone's Beautiful as a debut album. Although the album is Waterdeep's first national release, they reveal a lyrical maturity and musical depth on a level with most of the established bands in the industry.
As good as the album is though, to truly appreciate Waterdeep, a trip to one of their live shows is a must. In concert they perform with a musical intensity that is often compared to such bands as Phish, and as a result of their extensive touring have developed a devoted following of fans much like the following developed by the Grateful Dead.
Other coverage for this album
7ball #27Reviewed by Tia StaufferAt first glance, Waterdeep's debut label release, Everyone's Beautiful, may seem simple. Despite expectations normally associated with big-time label debuts, the band refuses to portray anything flashy or showy here. Instead, their rock/worship/acoustic sound is merely an outlet for the group to pour out their souls. The lyrics paint a picture of real life - the hardships, the pain, the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerThere aren't many hippies in modern music. Maybe a few of the more obscure folk artists could be called hippies, but there hasn't been a major-label release from a group of them for many years. Until now. Squint Entertainment is releasing a new album, entitled Everyone's Beautiful, from the insanely popular independent group Waterdeep. And if these guys aren't hippies, then nobody is. But don't…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartWaterdeep's "hippy" influences are well documented and lead to a quirky-pop sound mixing loose electric and acoustic guitars with lyrics that look to a future hope. As a result of its quirkiness, the album takes a while to warm to, but even after repeat listenings it sounds as if it could do with a little more focused energy. The cooks are obviously talented craftsmen and the mixture is…Similar sounding releases
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