Labels: Independence Day
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Here’s a doozy. This is a great record. Bright Calm Blue buck some trends in the screamo style that is popular right now by actually being very mid-paced and meandering, rather than metal and fast. They have bubbling basslines, urgent shouty-scream vocals that are more than a tad like that which went on in Bob Tilton (particularly when they drop into the occasional spoken segment – check out the start of Share the Blame!), and favour substance over style. The songs have the expected build ups and crescendo’s, they have the hip-shaking grooves that get me moving in my chair as I press these keys. Though my back aches. Argh. Sorry. Anyway. The guitars are complex and occasionally have a jazzy feel to them, bringing to mind the Vida Blue, other times they are chaotic yet controlled like Saetia.
They vary things by occasionally bringing in a keyboard (not in a Locust style), and the final song (my favourite as it sounds so different) is this super-spacey electronica infused number that is more like The Man I Fell In Love With or something. Top hole chaps!
Difficult to spend too many words harping on about the quality of this record. It’s much more refined than their first 7″, and overall I think it is helping the screamo style move forward and not get stuck in a rut a long with band like Hot Cross. Creative and high quality – worthy of your ears if you are into hearing the genre, w00t.