Labels: Universal Constant
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Hmm. I received two CD’s by this band for review. And I listened to 10 seconds of one track of the other, and it was vaguely Slint-esque. Interesting. So I put on the other one, which is 4 tracks long and therefore easier to review I figured. Being it shorter, and less numerous in trackage. Plus it has great song titles like “I Left My Wallet at the Create Cantina, But I Left My Heart on Yavin 4” and “the Bridge of Khazad-Dum”. What’s not to like about a band using unashamedly nerdy titles like that? Although they would have earned way more nerd points had they used the titles 5 years ago. Nowadays, well, even your local slack jawed, tartan baseball cap wearing thug has been to see Lord of the Rings. Thrice. Pfft.
Well, the first song on here is quite peculiar. It has a scruffy mid 90’s Braid feel to it, with buzzy guitars, then it hits rockier moments that are comparable to a less accomplished Party of Helicopters. The wavery vocals (that sometimes build into shouty parts) are also in that ballpark. And they kind of build on that sound over the rest of this CD, and it ain’t bad at all. Doesn’t sound like Slint though. Just an unfamiliar post-hardcore variation that works out solidly. “I Left My Wallet…” even has a few brooding emo moments, going all dark then exploding into full on. I think this is the best track actually, it is intense and the whole build up structure is damn fine. Track 3 sounds like it is going to be a downbeat number, barely creeping along at a snails pace with the sung vocals giving it a distant feeling, then suddenly it’s off to the races, piling on the rock and then hitting a part where the dude yells real loud then it mellows out again. The final song is probably the weakest of the bunch, being a messy rock song, but it’s not too bad either. Sounds like an arty Foo Fighters or something.
If after 5 seconds you had asked me to tell you if this CD was any good, I would have said it was shit. Having listened to it, I think it’s actually really really good. Who the heck are these guys?
Oh, I should also mention that the front cover of the inlay has George Bush’s face roughly cut out and stuck onto the body of a Terminator. Not photo-shopped. Which is even better.