Labels: Polyvinyl
Review by: Andy Malcolm
That title sounds like something Timmy Mallet would say. Cringe-worthy. And then there is the press sheet: “This record is so undeniably unique”¦” – come again? When will these bands stop insisting on the uniqueness of their music! YOU ARE JUST RECYCLING THE SAME OLD THING”¦ OVER AND OVER AGAIN. This record isn’t even unique in the last 6 months of music for god’s sake. Not to say it’s terrible or anything, mind.
I had relatively good hopes for this as first track, “Le Tigre”, kicked in. Chunky guitars lurch into action and blaze away in a particularly rocking fashion. And this track is more than adequate. Catchy and, wait for it, bouncy. Because it doesn’t take long to realise you are listening to the latest incarnation of a band that fancies being a watered down “the Promise Braid Kids’ with a bass sound pinched from Hot Water Music. I’m cynical huh? Too right. And I thought Polyvinyl would know better than to sign a band that withers so weakly in the shadow of Braid by playing such a similar style of music. Though PT do try and vary things a bit on “Future Scars” with it’s skittish, almost jazzy rhythms but it just turns back into indie rock pretty damn quick.
Paris, Texas also features annoying nasal vocals sung by a guy who fancies the idea of singing for Suede or something. Brit-pop shite. And this band isn’t even ex-None Left Standing any more. Pah. I make no de-merits on the quality of this music, they are accomplished musicians who can write catchy indie rock music, and it’s better than most of the stuff in this style, but all I can say is: heard it all before. Buy this if Deep Elm put out your idea of emo.