Labels: Doghouse
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I had heard nothing but good praise about this band, and having sampled their delights on a split single with Braid a couple of weeks ago, I finally made the purchase of the album. And so should you, as this band are something to behold.
Da Kids kick out a whole hatful (a giant hat, like maybe a Mexican one) of emocore, sprinkle in some pop, and then steal your heart. This album is simply awesome. If you’re not won over by the end of the first track, “Coming Clean”, with its unbelievably ace fast-paced tune and spot-on vocals then I’ll give you until the end of the touching yet rocking #2 song, “Don’t Hate Me”, with its stunning chorus and groovy keyboards, to offer the Get Up Kids your hand in marriage. And if by THEN you still don’t get it, well, you probably listen to metal or something. You oaf, you.
Not that it gets any worse. Its a perfect blend of rocking emo, and some much calmer, laid back moments. Packed with more tunes than even someone who has a particularly bad addiction to that specific cough sweet, I could look all day for a fault here, but I wouldn’t find one. From the turbocharged emocore pop of “Stay Gold, Ponyboy” with yet another sublime chorus, to the slowed down beautifulness of the likes of “Lowercase West Thomas” its all great. And tracks like the explosive “No Love” and “Shorty” put the emotional into emo. Ah, I found a flaw! The album is only 30 minutes and 11 tracks long. Oh well.
Damn, I want to tell you about every track! But really there is no need. It’d just be a procession of me reciting song title, e.g. “Last Place You Look”, then superlative, e.g. outstanding.
Simply: the best album I’ve heard all year. Get in Promise Ring and emo fans, here is your fix of the most consistently good stuff I’ve heard of this type of music yet. Glue it into the CD player to save yourself uttering “D’oh!” when you realise that you have just put it back in the box and the next album you want to hear is….”Four Minute Mile”.