Labels: GMLG
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Hit me in the face! This is well good. 283 are a Canadian emo band and this is a rather lengthy foray into creating a damn fine record. The great thing about this record is that it’s trying something a bit different. The first song is slow and chuggy much like Still Life, with both vocalists falling around and crying a lot. Then you have the second track, “Not Enough To Die For” crashing out the gate like Mainspring, exploding with pace and energy, before dwindling away into emo-twinkle heaven. And then there is “Gasoline” which is just utterly incredible. Talk about making the type of music I love to hear, this is top notch. The variety is good throughout, mixing up the noisy moments with distant quietness where everything fades away. The guitars mostly chug and force their way through the record, giving everything a kind of downbeat mood that combines with the pained vocals superbly – the vocals remind me of Indian Summer from time time, especially over the quiet bits. Wonderful. They also work the movement between the minimal moments and the big rocking sway-outs to perfection, no leaping from one to the other here.
The production is a little off, it sounds a bit demo-quality at times but don’t let that put you off, the music shines through. Or maybe it’s a habit of Canadian emo bands lately, the Mach Tiver cd had a similar sound. It’s also slightly too long, or perhaps just the best songs are at the start.
Either way, this is definitely one for lovers of bands like Still Life and Indian Summer. So you know this is right up my alley.