DESPERATE MEASURES: Speaking in Tongues

Desperate Measures

Speaking in Tongues

© 2007 Bill Sunkel & Rob Sunkel (837101277259)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Steely Dan Meets The Beatles in Elvis Costello's Garage

tracks

1 Guilty Pleasures
2 Glossolalia
3 Memory Road
4 Desiree
5 Undeniable
6 Fate Gets Her Way
7 You Really Opened My Eyes
8 Fallen
9 Demon-Haunted World
10 This Ageless Beauty
11 Big Bad Brother
12 Everything Breaks

notes

DESPERATE MEASURES NEW CD, SPEAKING IN TONGUES, HITS NUMBER 20 ON CD BABY'S "TOP SELLERS NOW" CHART IN ITS FIRST MONTH OF RELEASE!

In a culture too frequently characterized by disposable art and cloned artists, this CD is a breath of fresh air. No trend driven, focus group tested, digitally sanitized dreck served up by game-show poseurs or corporate shills here. Rather, this album wears like vintage jeans and snakeskin boots -- a classic without the tailfins.

Whether it makes sense to you that these guys are not household names depends on your particular take on modern tastes and sensibilities. Fresh melodies, smart, textured lyrics and inventive vocal harmonies build on a foundation characterized by jazzy grooves, bolder, stripped down instrumentals and a soulful, "live" performance ambience. Don't be deceived by how easily the smooth little suckers go down; these sugar babies pack a surprisingly powerful kick.

To appreciate the study in contrasts that defines their music, you need look no further than the two brothers who comprise Desperate Measures. Bill Sunkel: high energy, passionate, spontaneous, musicologist, bluesman. Rob Sunkel: cerebral, meticulous, introspective, artisan, jazzman. Together: intellectual, emotional, obsessive, songsmiths, rockers. Once again, Bill and Rob are joined on this CD by brilliant South Florida guitarist Tony Spatarella, who, as always, brings exciting additional colors to the DM palette.

Speaking in Tongues showcases both the range and the depth of Desperate Measures, from pop culture absurdism to pre-apocalyptic fatalism, and reveals influences ranging from The Fab Four to Carl Sagan. But on this CD, there is a new confidence, a sharper angle of attack. Listen carefully. There are melodies you have never before heard, but will always remember. There are words that offer up novel takes on familiar people, places and events. If there is a soundtrack of our lives, these songs surely deserve a place in it.

For additional backstory on DM, or to check out more of their music, click on the links for their first two CDs, Two Can Play and True Confessions, each on the left side of this page. To hear more music by Tony Spatarella, go to www.cdbaby.com/tonyspatarella and www.cdbaby.com/changes.

Oh, one more thing! DM's website, with loads of photos, sound clips, news, information and more is now on-line! Just click on the "Desperate Measures" link to the left, or go to www.DesperateMeasuresCD.com. And make sure you leave a message for the guys in the Guestbook! Enjoy!

EVERYTHING BREAKS

Everything breaks, eventually
Hard as you stand, you'll fall to the sea
As the wind and the waves come incessantly
Everything breaks, eventually

The bigger they are, the harder they fall
Once there were shadows, now there's nothing here at all
I watched them raise our hopes a hundred stories tall
And never believed
I couldn't conceive
I'd see the day
That they would come to be
Laid to waste
But, honey, take it on faith
Everything breaks

Everything breaks, eventually
The fool is the kind who's too blind to see
Building shrines to his own immortality
Everything breaks, eventually

Last night an asteroid passed close overhead
One hundred meters wide, or so the morning papers said
While I lay dreaming in my sweet unknowing bed
And for all your strength
And for all your speed
How can you talk about
A life that you lead?
We're just caught in the wake
And, baby, make no mistake
Everything breaks

Doesn't really matter
In what truth you believe
Doesn't really matter
Where the dim lights will lead
Doesn't really matter
What the tarot cards show
I've been around enough to know
There's only one way it can go

Everything breaks, eventually
You weather the storm perpetually
And then a kiss brings you to your knees
Everything breaks, eventually

(Copyright 2006 Bill Sunkel & Rob Sunkel)

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • Their best yet
    author: Adam F.

    I loved their earlier CDs, but this is the best yet. The cool Steely Dan influence is still there, but the music seems deeper and more soulful than before. As ever, the lyrics are excellent; you keep picking up fun and clever lines even after multiple plays.

  • Diggin' it big time; glad I'm on it man.
    author: Head of Security

    Enjoyed it immensely and must add it to the car's cd player now; no doubt about it. Wanna hear the music bro. I luv it as my man O'Lock knows I do. Head of security has spoken; O'Lock knows what I'm talkin' about. Peace.

  • Love it!
    author: Mary

    I can’t pick apart music like previous reviewers here, but I can tell you this. I know what I like, and I like – no, I love this cd! I love the mix of melodies and lyrics. I love the new sound of instrumentals. I love the ballads, and I love the songs that make me get up and move. I love the fact that long after I’ve listened, I’m still singing in my head. Bill and Rob are very talented, and I look forward to each new endeavor because it just keeps getting better!

  • For the thoughtful listener

    For the casual listener, "Speaking in Tongues" is what we have come to expect of Desperate Measures: stellar vocals, superb writing, unforgettable melodies, breathtaking harmonies. That hasn't changed, but that's not the genius of this album. This album reaches deeper and goes farther than anything Bill and Rob have recorded so far, emotionally and intellectually. Where DM's lyrics on past albums were always tricky, clever, and thoughtful, they have now become independently publishable poetry of the sharpest kind. Where DM's melodies have always been inspired, they now go far beyond that to produce a strange feeling of inevitability: you know you haven't heard these songs before, but they feel so right -- so true, in every sense of that word -- that they seem to emerge out of some primal catalogue of songs that are ordained to be written. Speaking in Tongues has an epic quality. And each time I listen, the final moments of Speaking in Tongues makes me that same wistful feeling I get when I'm coming to the end of a great book and regret that it soon will be over. I'm always suspicious of Beatles comparisons, but you know how you feel when "Abby Road" is coming to a close? Well, this one doesn't necessarily sound like that, but it surely feels like that. Speaking in Tongues is one of a kind. It's worth a real listen, especially for the thoughtful listener.

  • A 'must-have' album for true music lovers.
    author: FanMan

    Here is a collection of great songs - performed masterfully - that takes its place next to the truly great albums of all time. It is striking in its perfection. The cd raises the bar for what makes a great album: beautifully constructed songs; haunting melodies; striking lyrics and imagery; and hot guitars, horns and vocals throughout. From the very first listen, I was struck by its power and presence. (It reminded me of the first time I heard Steely Dan's 'Aja'.) Now, as I listen to each song, I think, "This is my favorite." - until the next one begins. Clean out the garage; this cd takes its place along side the best of all time!

  • My fascination with your cover art continues.
    author: KeyMan

    Where the HELL did you guys find a store with your name on it?!?

  • Definitely worthy of some serious airplay!
    author: Bill S.

    It just keeps getting better. I know Bill and Rob have been writing and performing for awhile, but the growth they are demostrating with each new CD is astonishing. "Speaking in Tongues" definitely hits all the corners! The melodies are real good - filled with great hook lines. And the musicianship is really outstanding. What's better is that there is a crisp sparseness to the arrangements that really let you hear how ingenious the instrumentation really is. You will probably be able to hear where some of their influence comes from. For me that really anchors the music and provides a familiarity that pulls me right in. There are a few songs on this CD that definitely get you tapping and singing along (eg. "Glossolalia"). But there are are also a couple that send chills down my spine (e.g. This "Ageless Beauty"). And "Everything Breaks" got me thinking. There is something in this CD for everyone. Get yours and see which songs YOU like. Desperate Measures is now on my short list of groups that I will buy before listening. They are just that consistently good.

  • Brotherly Love and Music Mastery
    author: Gail Famous

    I had the privilege of witnessing one of their recording sessions, and I was impressed then. Hearing the finished product has, of course, deepened that impression, and I felt compelled to comment on some of the songs. “Guilty Pleasures” is jazzy with whimsical surprises throughout - a head-bopper, for sure! I do so enjoy ballads from these boys, and one of my favorites is “Memory Road”. This is what you listen to on a carefree coastal drive. Another is “Undeniable”, a pretty and soothing song. “You Really Opened My Eyes” is a peppy mood lifter, and I see this as a Broadway hit one day. “Fallen” is really a beautiful song with a modernized yesteryear appeal to it, and I like that about it. “This Ageless Beauty” is filled with sweet, romantic images. The title “Big Bad Brother” led me to think that this song would be a wild number - what a surprise! “Fate Gets Her Way” and “Everything Breaks” both have thought-provoking, powerful messages with effective melodies in the balancing act of emotion and communication. Again, Bill and Rob have produced a diversified collection of fine music that exemplifies what they should be doing every day of the week for years to come!

  • Infinity energizes the realm of conventional drudgery.....
    author: Tubten Dorje

    Although I have not quite had a direct experience of the ultimate nature of reality, I know enough to recognize a sweet taste of infinite bliss when it appears in the relative conventional world. An example of this is Desperate Measures, who have managed through sheer artistry to engage the creative process with a fresh, uncontrived vision. Speaking in Tongues is the result of their crazy wisdom expressions, and here for all to enjoy are music , lyrics, and performances that can truly bring deep realizations and toe-tapping fun together into the one field of awareness that we all share as the very basis of our being. I have no favorite songs from this awesome collection- they all speak to me and touch me differently, and yet, I feel as though the stillness of the unmanifest nature of reality is always present. Thank you Bill and Rob! This cd is important and very special........

  • Captivating! a virtual banquet of musical delicacies!!!
    author: Moondancer

    Once again - each song can bring you to your knees and rock your world while encompassing every conceivable emotion with their lyrics and music! Voices that are true gifts in this Demon Haunted World! .. I have fallen again under the spell of Desperate Measures...Godspeed guys!!! you are really, really great!!! Thank you!..

  • An Accomplishment and a Wonder-I HAVE to use the word Genius
    author: Chris O'Loughlin

    Wondering where the heck the brilliant songwriters have gone these days? Desondent over feeling like the magic in music seems exlusively the domain of the past? Cheer up my dear music lover! My cousins Bill and Rob Sunkel are here to reassure you that inspired, life-affirming, joyous yet sometimes bitingly poignant songsmithing is as alive as ever on Speaking In Tongues! At once new and familiar, like meeting up with a very old, very dear friend, the emotional affect of these songs is simply sublime. 'Glossolalia' and 'Guilty Pleasures' are WAY too sexy to deprive yourself of. 'You really opened my eyes' and 'Demon Haunted World' REQUIRE pumpin' volume! THEE perfect cruising songs. 'Desiree' is miraculous perfection the likes of which we havent seen since the peak of Chicago in the 70's and if you have a dry eye by the time you finish listening to 'Everything Breaks' you must have a stone beating in your chest. Do yourself and your friends a favor..... BUY THIS AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT AND SHARE IT!!!!

  • If music matters to you, order your copy on CD Baby today!
    author: Lynn Miller

    The Brothers Sunkel have hit their stride with the release of Speaking In Tongues. From Bill's gritty, bare your soul vocals (reminiscent to this listener of David Clayton-Thomas) to Rob's romantic ballads, there is something for everyone on this CD. The arrangements are sophisticated and the vocal harmonies flawless. If you liked Tal Bachman's She's So High, you will love Fallen, a totally beautiful ballad. You Really Opened My Eyes is a jazz-tinged number with a terrific funk bass solo. This Ageless Beauty is a quiet masterpiece and Everything Breaks will bring you to your knees with its brutal honesty. If lyrics matter to you, if musicianship matters to you, if music matters to you, order your copy of Speaking In Tongues today!

  • Awesome!
    author: Lisa Maria

    Another winner from Desperate Measures!!! This has to be the best one yet; third time's a charm fellas!! The music, the melodies, the harmonies are stellar! This is one of my desert island disks for sure!!! I highly recommend it!

email

Please log in to email this artist.