| 9 of 10 | This one is kind of odd to me, having a lot of swagger for a Projekt band, who usually carry more an air of laid-back melancholy. At points it reminds me of old school Mission UK with it’s goth-ballad swagger, sometimes like a poppier Love Like Blood. Grrrr, and I hate the fact they covered Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me To The End Of Love”, I wanted to cover that song for a while now! Oh well, plenty of other songs to cover. I could easily see this played on the radio or on VH1, in a good way. Projekt, with it’s newfound dablings in dark pop like LowSunday (think Travis with powerchords), has paid off. But at times the swagger of Human Drama catches me, yet on other times that same song makes me wonder how much pop-rock I can stomach. But eh, on the same hand I have an uneasy relationship with pop in general. Choice cuts are “I am Not Here”, “Lonely”, and ” Imitation of….”. “Lonely” esp., with it’s Schubert-style piano musings, catches my ear. - KlingKlangBedlam

The new HUMAN DRAMA CD is so good, it can't even be put it into words. Now really. Can it even be considered a standard Human Drama CD? No. It can't. Johnny Indovina seems like an entirely new man - as if peering out a window might bring in to view a glossy, bright purple 2003 Porsche with a guy driving it wearing a pristine, lime green leisure suit, white gloves, glowing pink lipstick, a tall (western style) hat, whiter than X-Mas in late January. A man up to something and proud of it. And the jazzed up vehicle isn't blazing down the road either - LIKE IT COULD. No... no... it's prancing down the avenue like a pink Cadillac driven by a pimp lookin' for his ho's, while very aware of his onlookers. The new Johnny Indovina aka the new Human Drama CD is a glimmer of white light as it goes about starting with a misleading guitar intro (of just a few measures) that promote a previous fan's immediate, "Uh oh..." and then just as quickly paints a very direct realization that it was a trick - a very lovely, lovely trick. The entire production is clear, clean, concise and gives you a feeling inside like you just ate a bunch of grape Jello.

Musically diverse and diversely musical. A project on Projekt, none-the-less. Which is always the mark of " get ready for something heavily interesting."

Comparable, maybe, to The The and Matt Johnson at various times. Wait a minute. Did those two shack up together and get it on? Or at least wife-swap? Probably not. But still - the influence is there. Strong enough... Like an axe. Like a chainsaw. Like a 50 ton pump on a tiny rubber balloon. There is also a faint The Fixx thing going on at times too. Although it is so out of character and light that writing about it seems silly. The truth is, there's a myriad of segmental influences throughout the entire glamor-parade. But never enough that you can pin point a single note. What's left is a friendly sounding collection of intelligently written songs that seem effortlessly familiar, but really aren't. Johnny Indovina doesn't have a gold tooth while releasing this particular collection of groovy tunes - he's got a rack of chompers, gold-smothered. Our favorite of the hour (it keeps changing)? "Goodnight Sweetheart" - of course. And we know that because when we play the 13 track CD there are always at least 15 or 16 tracks by the time we are done. (for those individuals who are terribly bad at math: we play track 4 (Goodnight Sweetheart) two or three times while playing the CD from track 1 to 13).

A close second in the favorite arena is the track just before "Goodnight Sweetheart," "Imitation Of..." - Oh, hold a horse, maybe that's where the extra track-plays are coming from... Regardless, after the total Human Drama Cause And Effect experience, we are left with one simple question: How on Earth do you get the brilliant CD out of the CD player? Or better yet - who wants to? - David Paul Wyatt Perko

4 out of 5 stars | Human relationships are stars that burn brightly at the beginning but dim noticeably over time with expectations of solely populated spheres of attention that can never materialize due to the impossibility of sustained concentrated efforts. This draws the lifeblood from the union and diffuses what little remains into brittle glass that rips love into bleeding soulless shells. That's the Human Drama. The search for love, the demand for fulfillment, and the curse of desperation create a play of failure and discontentment that pierces. Our love relationships are supposed to be encompassing, but they disperse. They are supposed to protect but they wound and kill. The depth of a pure bond is supposed to be bottomless yet it overflows with dissension. Words and songs have always approached this enigmatic concept with great passion. And for good reason. It is an elusive force that leaves us baffled for its inherent ability to destroy. Human Drama's Johnny Indovina has the innate talent to poetically scrutinize the heart of wayward intent.

This album contains thirteen songs including a remake of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me To The End Of Love", perhaps the most important song of all time on what we quest for. Human Drama reshapes it and delivers a darker version, one that isn't as sad as Cohen's but is more sure of the fallacy and impossibility of what it asks for. The disc begins with the powerful and melodic "I Am Not Here", which painfully asks for removal. As well, Johnny Indovina reveals the very human desires of perfection, yet allowing us the view of its futility. We hear this in "Quiet Desperation", and in "Imitation Of...". It becomes more crystalized on "Lonely". Disgust isn't cast away as we realize that all this becomes quite ugly in "Goodnight Sweetheart". EmmyLou Harris' beautifully affecting "Bang The Drum Slowly" is unearthly as performed by Human Drama. Musically, Human Drama explores every realm. Rockers, ballads, and themes that incorporate the use of mournful guitars, somber keyboards, and haunting guitar leads that are beautiful to hear. "Cynthia's Journal" is a musical champion with its expressive leads. Human Drama is an accomplished band.

Lyrically, Indovina knows few equals. In a world of instant gratification, Human Drama separate themselves from the surface of lust that many seek as a means to satisfy. Human Drama digs deeper, giving more import to the melancholy of broken love. The inspection of these are driven home by well worded revelations and sung effectively, hinting at disaffection as if from a deep well of sorrow. Cause And Effect, is an album of the after effects of love, delivered in melody, in thought, in poetic reality, and in variations of musical dispensing becoming a collection of the spiritual fallout felt by love's eventual injustice. Expertly communicated, Cause And Effect becomes the soliloquy of every searching person saddened by unfulfilled promise.

PRODUCTION & PACKAGING | The engineered clarity of the disc is top notch. Vocals are clear, the music complementary, and the album, enjoyable to listen to. The booklet is a six page, tri fold with lyrics on the inside, cover art painted by Ken Mattson with the cover designed by Sam Rosenthal. The rest of the booklet insert is complete with credits. This disc is available only by mail order. But the price is right and the worth exceeds the cost

THE FINAL SAY | Fans of Human Drama will flock to this release as it showcases a deeply dramatic and dazzling album full of introspection and carried along artistically by their superb instrumentation. If you have just sat idly by, you need to immerse yourself in the richness of Human Drama. - Matt Rowe

April 2003: There's only one easy way to go about this review: Cause and Effect is the most satisfying Human Drama studio album since The World Inside. With the occasional echo of the heavier electric days of Feel (their obscure debut), Johnny and company blend the classic twist of introspection mixes with a new sense of third-person narrative. "I am not Here" and "Madame Hate's Mad Search for Love" are as brilliant as anything Johnny has ever written. The cover of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" is a perfect nightcap. Yet, lest you get too excited, be warned that there are moments when the album is blatantly self-indulgent ("Lonely") and from time to time, Michael Ciravolo's guitar textures noodle on aimlessly (particularly on "Look at Me Now" and "Quiet Desperation"), detracting from the otherwise well-crafted songs. All of which, when added and subtracted, still makes this a brilliant release that hasn't left my car stereo for the past three weeks. Not available in stores; visit www.projekt.com to order your copy. -Ryan Michael Painter

Cause and Effect is the latest CD from Human Drama, released through Projekt as a mail-order only release. The new disc touches on a variety of musical sounds and styles that explores broken relationships and the changes they can inflict on a person. From the very beginning of this disc, I was caught completely and utterly off guard. The first track "I Am Not Here" was surprisingly upbeat in sound, taking on a very pop rock feel despite the lyrics involved. "Look at Me Now" moved into a slightly different direction taking on some slight country western elements complete with twangy guitar and glassy piano. Human Drama, dark dramatic Johnny Indovina, and country? I am suddenly realizing this CD is going to take me into realms I never quite expected to go. This becomes even more obvious with the next track, "Quiet Desperation", a song with strong smoky blues guitar riffs that set the atmosphere well, but lie in stark contrast to Johnny’s unique vocals, followed by "Imitation Of…", a mellow song with subtle licks and acoustic strumming.

"Goodnight Sweetheart" moves into a slightly darker feel, and more of what I was expecting from Human Drama. Continuing on the dark and lonely road is "Lonely", and is by far the darkest and intensely emotional sounding track on Cause and Effect. It stands out because of the lack of all other musical accompaniment other than a piano and Johnny Indovina’s voice that drops into a rather sorrowful tone not really found anyplace else on this release. As the song progresses, it only seems to get deeper and deeper until it moves into a crashing finale. Traveling back to the rambling road of rock, "Madame Hate’s Mad Search for Love" has some nice musical subtleties that give the track some nice depth. Occasional strings and winds whisper, barely audible, in the background. The acoustic guitar mingled with the electric is also unusual, but it seems to work very well together. Suddenly, the brakes are thrown to the grind. "Bang the Drum Slowly" twisted my brain into a whirling 360. What the heck is an Emmy Lou Harris song doing here? Full on classic country western sounds coming from my speakers? It totally threw me into some very nostalgic memories of childhood. What is even more frightening is that while Human Drama is considered to be a "dark pop" band, they pulled this song off disgustingly well. It’s nearly enough to make me want to find a beer to cry in. Subtler country elements creep into the next track, "The Mystery", but quickly dissipate with "Cynthia’s Journal" and "The Battle" with strumming guitars and big chorus. "About Michelle" puts us back into the realm of rock, but again, I’m left with my head cocked looking at my stereo funny. Do I detect some slight psychedelic sounds in there? I think I do. After a rather shocking and bumpy ride through musical history and genre, we are cradled in the final track, "Dance Me to the End of Love", a fitting finish to the disc. We are brought back to the comforting dark to which we are accustomed, though the lyrics are the sweetest and most hopeful on the entire release. We are then lulled by this sweetly sung lullaby that ends the disc on a nice but quiet note.

The songs on this disc touch on experiences from life, the human condition, human emotion, and quite simply, the human drama. It’s a travel through musical time, through life altering changes, and through the heart of Johnny Indovina, and what a journey it was. - Laura B.