Yesterday, on my way to a track meet, I listened to a CD by Promize, titled "Stained." This is a great CD that I personally love.

Promize are an unusual band.  Two older guys who won't give up rockin' join two teenagers, both of which are the daughters of one of the older dudes.  One of the daughters, Shelby Sousa, plays guitar and has a voice that is both haunting and original.  She doesn't sound like anyone I've ever heard, but trust me, she is going to be a star!  Her dad, Dave Manning, sings half of the album and he also has a very cool voice (I can definitely hear the talent in this family!).  Shelby's sister, Kelly Manning, plays drums, and Bob Sweeney contributes some very hot guitar and bass licks.  Confused!  Don't be!  Just listen to the music!

This CD opens slowly. The first song, "Hail Mary," has a insistent beat and very hooky singing by Dave Manning. The second song is the cover title, "Stained." This song, also sung by Dave Manning, starts with a slow, atmospheric guitar, but about a minute through, it picks up speed. I could sing this song forever; I love it so much! In fact, a line from the song, "Listen to the things you hear the children say, where'd you get your holy water?" was stuck in my head while I ran yesterday! The lyrics totally rock and this song is perfect. The next song, "Underbridge," is sung by Shelby. This song also has a great beat, and as I was listening to it, I realize how much I loved Shelby's voice. It has a touch of attitude mixed with hate. I love it! The fourth song, "Station," didn’t strike me as much as the last two. It just started out too slow and I didn’t care much for it because it sounded too much like one of the quieter Alice in Chains songs. The next three tunes are all keepers.  They typically begin slowly, the the speed picks up. Shelby sings again In "Truth," the album's best song, and I think she should sing some more. I love her voice! Moving on, the next three songs are awesome. Dave sings lead and Shelby sings backups in "Last Hand," another great song. This 12 song CD ends with a slower tune called "Atlas Prime," a great ending tune.

This album sounds a professionally recorded as anything I've heard lately.  You can tell that a LOT of effort went into capturing a complete, textured audio experience. In addition, there is no swearing that I picked up on the album (always a plus in my book).  All of the songs are great, and if you don’t want to purchase this cd, (and I believe you should) at least download a few of their tunes. Promize rocks!

Download free Promize tunes or order their CD