Labels: Moodswing
Review by: Andy Malcolm
And so it ends. The final release from Chocolate Kiss, a band who kicked out a
couple of very fine CD’s over their lifetime (my favourite before the release of
this being Les Booms Booms – this album trumps it). At least they go out on a high
note. “No Funeral” (an apt title) sees them romp through 8 tracks of highly
melodic emo / indie rock, replete with ex-members of some mid 90’s emo band (go
check their other reviews for info, and I must stop using brackets in this
review). The opening tune “We’re All Monsters” comes stomping out of the gate with
strong instrumentation and fantastic vocals from Matt Mauldin, the rhythm section
is tight and holds things together whilst the guitar drives the song onwards. Very
catchy and enjoyable. Which sets the scene for the whole album that lasts around
half an hour or so, tunes which are enjoyably fun sounding, stuffed with
infectious melodies and those vocals which just hit me in precisely the right
spot, helping make the band stand out. Each tune has it’s own special moments,
“Hissing, Pissing and Buzzing” for example has a gorgeous twinkly moment before
blistering back into it’s ace repetitious finale. So tasty. Whilst “Both Ways”
could well have been a track that somehow didn’t make it onto some old LP called
“Deja Grateful”, peculiar that. The lovely Promise Ring style “Television
Soundtrack” that bounces into earshot with a real nice bass groove. Ngg. You get
the picture. I like this a lot. I could easily write similar gushing comments about each and every song on here, so I’ll stop before somebody pukes.
A great epitaph for a band that will have been overlooked and misunderstood and
ignored by far too many. Check this out, and enjoy a well crafted album of emotive
indie rock, the likes of which you will be hard pushed to have found done better
since 1998. Early Christie Front Drive meets the Promise Ring at their best meets
that band that two of these dudes were in once. Or something. That’s just what I hear. It’s probably not what influenced things. Whatever, I love it.