Labels: Carmen Diablo
Review by: Guy Baumann
This one has caused me all sort of problems. Firstly I wasn’t sure if I liked it which is a bit of problem when trying to review something. Secondly I couldn’t for the life of me think of what to compare it to. Not because it’s that different but mainly because its not the type of music I normally listen to. It is melancholic with a country feel, punk it ain’t, emo neither. The closet thing I could think of was Neil Young but then again I don’t listen to him either. More indie perhaps post rock even, my missus mentioned Starsailor, does that help? I will probably get flamed for saying that but I am pleading musical ignorance here.
In desperation I search the internet – I come across reviews that compare them to/with bands such as the Black Heart Procession, Mogwai – again bands that haven’t yet come into my radar screen. Is this helping? Or am I out of my depth here?
Ah more coming through from the internet – they hail from Tempe, Arizona coming out of the Phoenix underground scene.
Its been on repeat all day and I have decided I do like it. The first track is Brighter Days “I know there will be brighter days, but it only makes me sad” sings Brock Ruggles. It is a gentle song, with slide guitar in the background for that country feel.
The second track “the mottled beauty of a spiteful seed” is in the similar vein, with electric guitar more in the forefront and whispering eerie vocals. The track has a very hazy feel to it, with the tempo gradually increasing, it becomes more chaotic, more noise more distortion. Thats better.