Labels: altinvillageandmine
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I somehow expected this album to be rather better than it actually turned out. It just kind of lacks the extra buzz that I was anticipating from the output they released prior to the LP. “Don’t Correct Me If I’m Wrong” is just a bit too mathy and disorganised, the songs are a helter-skelter muddle at times, heading one way and then the other without ever settling into any kind of groove, something that I consider essential in all the best emo. Just take the opening track, it heads off in several different directions, often at the same time. When they ease off the accelerator pedal of confusion, things are a lot more palatable. The band deal out male and female vocals to good effect, and it tends to remind me of bands such as Turn Around Norman or perhaps Providence Union (hey, I like being wilfully obscure). The best moments are the softer parts with female vocals such as on the excellent start of standout song “Sure It Was Fun Whilst Lasted”, that are very Crash & Brittany, and on songs like “Mixed Motives and Social Dilemma” they find a brief, melodic moment. It’s just a shame that these parts are obliterated by the fiddly math and the music never has time to make an impact. Any melody is lost, and all hopes at structure are crushed under the squealing wheels of a bus with brakes that suddenly kick in without warning, and the driver doesn’t really know where he’s going.
A case of what might have been here. I enjoyed this album initially but revisiting it a while later I do not really find that to be the case. Whilst it has it’s moments, it is too lacking in too many departments to be worthy of repeated listens.