Review by MusicBox
3½ stars out of 4
Chances are you've never heard of The Urge. They're local enough to play
four consecutive sold out shows in their hometown of St. Louis, Missouri,
but national enough to have a guest appearance by Nick Hexum on their
latest album, Master of Styles. So who are The Urge? They are an
indescribable, crowd pleasing ensemble that put on the best live show
of any band on tour today. Bringing together ska, punk, alternative,
and a touch of reggae, The Urge are sitting on the edge of hardcore rock.
Back up by Karl Grable on bass, Matt Kwiatkowski on trombone, John Pessoni
on drums, Bill Reiter on sax, and Jerry Jost on guitar, Steve Ewing
belts out their collective tunes in a typical rock star tone. Writing
songs about trips to the liquor store, writers block, and a lot of songs
about sex, The Urge still haven't lost their local charm. Their newest
album, Master of Styles includes "Jump Right In", which Nick Hexum
contributed to. The singles released from the album included "Jump Right
In", "Closer" (which are two of The Urge's more tame songs), and "Straight
To Hell" (a fan favorite). The Urge is probably the best band to ever
come out of St. Louis. They just waiting to invade your CD Player.
The Urge's new album, entitled "Too Much Stereo" after the first single
to be released, is due out in late April/early May.
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