Album Review :
Camaria - Something To Believe In

Artist: Camaria
Title: Something To Believe In
Label: Unsigned
Release Date: 6/8/2010
Reviewer: Jeremiah

Tracklisting:

1.  Something To Believe In
2.  What Lies Beneath Your Skin
3.  How Do You Measure A Catastrophe?
4.  I Could Be Your Drug

You can find a gem but at first it might not look much like a gem.  You might not even think it’s a gem at all.  But then you begin to knock the dirt off and proceed to clean it up and miraculously it’s much different then what was originally found.  For myself, much can be said for this four track ep from Camaria.  On first listen I was turned off by the entire ep except for the opening song “Something To Believe In”.  I wanted to know more about the four songs so I texted the singer and songwriter Scott Ruth for his input on the exact meaning of each song.  After his response and a sudden lay off at my job my thoughts about the songs drastically changed.

This ep kicks off with “Something To Believe In”.  The first part of the song grabs you by it’s acoustic strums so fitting to be heard in a small coffee shop while sipping your favorite cup of Joe.  The latter half of the song turns the tide and blasts you with its fuzzy alternative rock flare.  As Scott shared with me, “This song is about my faith in God and finding my way back to Him.  I was really struggling when I wrote it and wanted to get back to a place that I used to know.”  I thought this was a pretty good song until it officially became my anthem when I was let go from my previous job 3 days ago.  It was a very humbling experience to say the least and my relationship with God wasn’t like it should have been and I wanted to get back to a place I use to be with God.  This song came in at the right time when I needed it the most and God planted it there purposely.  The lyrics are below

There is a fire that burns deep inside of me and lately
These flames are all I have
And I have a girl for every palm tree that I’ve seen
Living In California
But these days I’m awake more than I’d like to be
And these days you’re all I have

So give me something to believe in
Lord, bring me peace, my daily bread
I need something to believe in
So I can bring myself back to you

I know there is a fire for me deep inside of you
And your Son is a window to your heart
But if your love is like one thousand stars to illuminate the night
I must be blind to it
These days you’re away much more than you should be
It would be nice to see your face

Lovely water flow, and don’t you let me go

Next, “What Lies Beneath Your Skin”.  We’ll not literally but that’s the name of the song title for a track with soaring guitar melodies throughout.  For some reason though the lyric Yet still you are the reason I might explode kept reminding me of the song “If You Talk Too Much My Head Will Explode” by People In Planes.  This song is not annoying though like the one I just mentioned but if there is a track on here that is the weakest, this one would certainly be it.

Now “How Do You Measure A Catastrophe?”  Well I not sure but I’m glad there is spell check because it could be a catastrophe if I didn’t know how to spell the word catastrophe.  This song is far from it as it pulls you in with its ascending guitar riffs, decadent keys, strumming bass lines, and spot on drumming.

“I Could Be Your Drug” rounds out this quad song ep.  I didn’t understand at all what this song was about which was why I had originally contacted Scott for information behind the meaning of this song along with the other three.  As he replied, “This song is about one of my best friends and his drug/sex addiction.  What I’m trying to tell him is that I could be his drug and he could depend on me, rather than these things that are going to lead him to nowhere but destruction.”  I then asked him what the opening lyrics meant in which he replied, “Well originally when I was writing it I put it down in a way that he would understand and maybe even find funny.  All I am saying is that the two usually go hand in hand and I’m trying to drive the point home that he could rely on me if I could rely on him.”  This song meant so much more to me after I had received that response from Scott.  It’s a very moving song with poignant lyrics.  My second favorite behind “Something To Believe In”.  Here are the lyrics below

I could be your drug
If you would be my whore
Cause I’ve been thinking and you could use a little bit of my attention
You’ll be my concern
And I’ll be your desire

You’re a fairy tale ending but without the crown
And you wear your doubts, and a crooked frown
Now you’re the one that they all talk about
But you’re always wasted

You will run and hide, but I will find you

You’ve been down this road a thousand times before
Your tread is wearing thin
And now you find yourself alone again
You make your own bed, but you sleep in such dirty places
Your fix is killing me
It’s the carnage of this place that you call home
It’s the carnage of this place that you call home

Overall: This ep brings the summer heat at the very end of an unusually chilly fall.  It makes me long for fun times at the beach which will have to wait for several more months.  Will Kennedy did an excellent job on the production and Scott Ruth knows how to craft alternative rock songs that scream mainstream radio hits.  I don’t think his bands status of being unsigned will last too much longer if the pace of these type of songs continues.  I definitely will be on the look out for future releases from this still up and coming band.  This rounded out my top 5 ep’s for 2010.