Labels: Snuffy Smile
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Strange I should get this the week Braid split up. I ordered it before I even heard the rumours on the internet. But it gives me the chance to say that I’ll miss them, that they played the best show I have ever been at in December of ’98, and that if I ever witness 2 songs more perfectly played live than “Ariel” and “First Day Back” I’ll be stunned.
No new material on this split, but seeing as all Braid’s 7″ material is going to turn up on the “Movie Music” comp in Y2K, that’s not so vital. “Killing A Camera” is the excellent, upbeat track from the album, which is a slice of vital whateveritisthatbraidplay. I think I ended up deciding they play scruff-pop, basically great tunes that are played harder or punkier or something. Which is what “Forever Got Shorter” is too. Kinda weird that the first 7″ I ever got with a Braid song on it contained this track (their split with the Get Up Kids on Tree), and that the last 7″ I got with the band still together also has this song on it. It’s just that beautifully played stuff that Braid always do. You still can’t beat the way this one picks up pace towards the end. And it’s still the reason why the hordes of Braid influenced emo bands sound a million times better than the hordes of Deep Elm type emo.
Three Minute Movie provide backup. Their name sounds like the title of a Braid song. A Japanese band in the style of the Lovemen. Dammit, they’re playing pop music and it’s really fast. Great vocals, superb hyperactive guitars and great use of pace. Is there an end to the great Japanese bands? My god, “A Blue Coloured Dawn” is just so good. “World Of Nothingness” is slower and more dreamy, and similar in a way to say, Wall, but does pick up the noise at times. If I had a Three Minute Movie album, I think they’d be my new favourite Japanese band.
Braid ruled: if you never realised, be a part of it.