Labels: Jade Tree Records
Review by: Andy Malcolm
So, uh, how do you follow up my favourite album ever? By seemingly ditching all but the thinnest of cotton threads to the old emo-pop style and becoming a full on pop rock band. Except. The more I listen to this, the more I can relate it to what they were doing before.
As is the trend these days, the old guard of 1997 emo are either splitting up (Braid) or becoming pop bands (GUK, P-Ring), and good on them, because they’ve realised that everyone else was just stealing their ideas and dragging them down, keeping them hidden amongst the dregs and very average wares that these bands were peddling. Why carry on being an emo band when everyone else is ruining it for you? Quick change of styles, lead on, and the kids will follow. A year from now, emo as a popular genre will be all but gone, and we can all safely get back to listening to emo that rips off the pre-1994 bands, I count the days…
But enough! This album is rockin’, emo or no emo. Sure, there aren’t too many songs on here where you’d go “MAN, THAT’S THE PROMISE RING!”, especially if you couldn’t hear Davey’s trademark vocals, but that doesn’t stop the rock. In fact, rarely has an album featured 10 more enjoyable songs than this one does. The upbeat songs retain the age old P-Ring bounce, a semblance of the old guitar sound, as well as that repetetetetetition which you all know and love, but I guess things are much more RAWK driven with obvious choruses and back to basics song structures. Catchy as fuck still. “Deep South” is my favourite on here, it is probably the nearest they get to any of the stuff of Nothing Feels Good with those subtle bass-lines and simple guitars pushing you a long and forcing you to dance. This is just what I want from my pop music. Cute and crazy lyrics charming as ever n’all. Pah, perfect.
What else? There’s a couple of slower efforts that are very nice indeed, the gorgeous “Things Just Getting Good” has some ‘real’ instruments on it. Cello or something. Seriously reminds me of someone, I can’t think who though. I think it’s Superchunk, because “Jersey Shore” is giving me those vibes too.
Still, I keep thinking that there has to be a song on here I can write bad stuff about, but I’m having trouble. Whenever I find a nit to pick, an addictive chorus quickly descends on me and my brain gets wiped. I’m sorry, I guess I’m vulnerable to this kind of thing.
Lovely, original packaging too. Some of the pictures suck though, the boys aren’t quite as photogenic as they used to be.
Well, what more can you say. I can’t make up my mind if it’s going to be controversial to like this album or not, hmmm. Whatever, it’s the Promise Ring. I love them. I’m biased. I’m probably blind. Um, this is their 3rd best album. But the others are two of the best records ever released. This is merely excellent. Tsk, the shame of it.