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The Absentee’s au courant album, “Things I Forgot At Birth,” is the ying and yang of West Coast tunes—channeling airy measures joined with a sedate bebop that binds the music and vocals into a single bite of euphoria. “Things I Forgot At Birth” is the breed of music that cools you down on a blazing summer day, while watching slyly smiling girls in summer skirts trot down a path in the park.
The album did, however, take a couple spins to warm up to. I was torn between whether or not the lyrics were sappy or sincere—if the vocals were warm or rough—or if the tracks were original works of art or phony reincarnations of Coldplay cuts. Which is my reasoning behind dubbing the Absentee as Zen music masters—for their astonishing ability to waver between the good and the bad musically. In order to appropriately critique this album—it is important to review the few phases experienced with each replay:
Phase #1: Initially the vocals stood out as the supreme musical contributor—by crooning muffled melodies that were soothing and sensually desirable.
Phase #2: Subsequently, the other instruments chipped in—providing a calming and refreshing harmony.
Phase #3: Lastly, my neurons begin to detect the Absentee’s desire for ridiculous lyrics, including—“She laughs like dirt,” “The violin’s first sound,” and “Sail away with me… life is but a dream”—collected from the track “Down the Stream.” At this point I felt slightly betrayed by the band as their trite behavior became increasingly apparent. The Absentee—although musically clever and stimulating—may be hiding a sliver of sell-out attitude.
Overall, The Absentee’s, “Things I Forgot At Birth,” paraded a tranquil and reconciling cadence, aside an ambiance that supported the album with a professionally produced ring; however, the group’s “emo” and morose perspectives may deflect music enthusiasts.

Reviewed by: Karoline Anderson 05.19.06