Labels: Deep Elm
Review by: Dan Baker
imagine that, one day, you are strolling through your favourite record shop and as you are passing the indie rock section, a record seems to stand out from the others, as though your sixth sense is telling you that this thing is special, that this record is going to be better than any other, that it is going to speak to you in ways you never thought a piece of music could. and then you take it home, you listen to it for the first time, and you are amazed by its sheer brilliance.
unfortunately, cross my heart’s new release isn’t like that. it sucks. in fact, the only brilliant thing about this cd is how hard they must have worked to make this the most unoriginal, most bland, most disturbingly (no, that isn’t an exaggeration) worthless release i have heard in a long time. in 1998 i thought their first release wasn’t that great, and while music has progressed and developed, the emo train obviously (or purposely) forgot to pick them and they were left stranded in a miserable abyss of rubbish bands who have no idea of what’s going on anymore.
lets analyse one song just so i can explain the problem. ‘self loathing bastard’ has the initial disadvantage of having a name straight from kurt cobain’s abc of being a rock star lyricist . the lyrics are the usual self deprecating stuff about how he hates himself (‘come to think i’m irrelevant’) and everyone else (‘legion of liars. don’t want to face another day’) and this is presented through a typical four chord progression. and then he screams. not in a passionate emotional way, or an aggressive angry way, but just acquiescently, like he’s doing it because it sounds cool.
amidst all this pseudo AOE (adult orientated emo) the production is actually damn good, and the guys sound pretty talented at their instruments and that. maybe they should form a cover band.
this is the worst deep elm release i’ve heard, and after getting a couple of disappointing releases i was beginning to get a little bit doubtful about that label, but i’ve just got the imbroco cd which IS something special.
so don’t buy this album. if you do buy it i will tell nic sunfactor you said his band sounded like spy versus spy, and then you’re in trouble. or email me and i will give you a copy for free. unless i’ve used it for frisbee or something else more worthwhile than a cd before then.