Labels: Saddle Creek
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I bypassed on buying this for absolutely ages as I was figuring on it being pretty standard emo rock. My mistake. It’s still emo rock, but it’s waving at me and shouting “you almost like us as much as you like Boilermaker and I Hate Myself!” which is high praise indeed for me. The only real knock I have on it is the strained vocals that are half Enigk, and half the singer of Cursive – if you have heard the band Uncrush (they had a 7″ on crank) it’s similar. They do get a bit grating and tuneless at times, but otherwise are gloriously pained and heartfelt.
But the best part of this is that the album is one you could drink yourself into a stupor to. It treads the path of being super miserable and depressed (a la b’maker, ihmyself) hinting at never being quite totally in control of what is going on. They know exactly how to concont an end of the world emo special, and you get the feeling that things are gonna fall apart any minute. “Break In The New Year” is the song you would play as you stood drunk on the roof of the 20 floor building, figuring you may as well end it here. Meanwhile “Proposals” is the song you play when you slow dance around the bedroom after figuring maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea after all. Either that, or the one in your ears as you plummet earthwards in a dizzying slow motion distress. The choice is yours.
Mega 220g wax too! All records should be made like this.