Something Real Album Review & Resources

Album Review from the feature article
Meg & Dia's debut album "Something Real” highlights the style the band brings to the table: emotional vocals and intricate harmonies, which are used effectively upon a variety of backgrounds.
The driving opener “Monster” begins with a great groove created by the guitars and drums and is soon layered with powerful lyrics. Following is “Roses,” a catchy track that begins with a funky backbeat and serves as a great contrast to the previous number.
Their versatility is clear by the first verse of “Tell Mary,” the third song on the CD, when Dia’s vocals are placed on top of only Meg’s acoustic guitar; the vocals remain effective when the full band joins in for the rest of the track. “Cardigan Weather” also highlights their acoustic sound – as does the gem “Rebecca,” a song featuring only vocals and piano, buried in the middle of the album.
The track “Rebecca” is actually based on the book of the same name by Daphne Du Maurier – in fact, Meg (who leads in the songwriting process) credits a lot of her inspiration to literature. “Monster” originates from John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” while “Indiana” comes from the George Sand novel of the same name.
The closer “Setting up Sunday” provides a perfect ending to an impressive debut CD. It may not make the Billboard charts, but “Something Real” is chock-full of great music and, hopefully, a sign of great things to come.
Reviewer Note: if you're a fan of digital purchases, the iTunes album includes a bonus acoustic version of Monster and Tower Records Digital features a bonus track from their self-produced 2005 record.

Other reviews of Something Real

Emotional Punk: 7.0 out of 10
"While it is true that there are no real musical barriers being broken down with this release, it is still one that is extremely pleasing to the ear. These sisters are poised for great things and, honestly, this has real potential to push to pop radio. If you are a fan of Eisley, Paramore or Tegan and Sara, you should definitely pick this up."

Upbeet Music: 3.5 out of 5
"...Overall, this is a very good album and if you ignore all the hype and/or criticism about it and just give it a listen you might find that this is one of your favourite summer releases."

Pop Syndicate: 4.0 out of 5
"Like any album, 'Something Real' has its likely singles like the dark-tinted 'Monster' and grrrl power anthem 'Indiana' loaded up front.  But, the album is thick and blended evenly, offering savory slices to the very last bite. Deeper cuts like the vocal spotlight 'Cardigan Weather' and the golden-harmonized 'Setting Up Sunday' are foot tapping tunes that you’ll come back to again and again."

PunkBands.com: 5.0 out of 5
"Meg and Dia may be poised to take on the world and you’ll find yourself singing along before you know it."

IGN.com: 5.8 out of 10
"The music might hint at rock, but insanely cheery and bright vocals buff out any sharp edges that may have made the album interesting... The few moments that work on Something Real is not enough to warrant a purchase, or look forward to a future release."

What Is It? A Fender Bender
Meg & Dia's debut album "Something Real” was preceded by the release of an EP, "What Is It? A Fender Bender", avialable now on iTunes and InterPunk. Included are two tracks from "Something Rea" — "Monster" and "Indiana" — in addition to an acoustic track, "What Are You Into." The digital release includes an acoustic rendition of "Roses", while the CD copy features "Santa Barbara" and the music video for "Monster."
In addition to the EP, Meg & Dia self-released a CD in 2005, entitled "Our Home is Gone." The CD had a limited print run and is nearly impossible to find today.