Labels: Vacation House
Review by: Andy Malcolm
This is a pretty impressive mini CD here from these Italian boys. Seven songs of melodic hardcore in the emo rock vein that draws on influences like good ol’ Texas is the Reason as well as having a bit of Dag Nasty, ‘Field Day’ era thing going at times too. The promo sheet mentions Samiam. And I wouldn’t dispute that in any way at all. So it’s got the rock, indeed – it’s good to hear an emo band that is honest about being a rock group and to just come straight out and do it, instead of noodling behind a facade of hour long intro’s or trying to gain more emo cred by having a grown boy who sounds like he’s still not old enough to do joined-up writing yet handling lead vocals.
So instead, One Thirty Late are all about toe-tapping, unashamedly *rock* music with that essential hardcore influence. They even have a couple of Braid-esque time changes thrown in, only simplified, but just check the particularly impressive stand out track, “No Question”. Another good comparison would be of fellow Italian emo rockers, Eversor, they are certainly a long the same lines with the chunky riffing and soaring guitars.
Good things indeed, worth keeping an eye out for if you like the more rock side of the emo. It’s what radio stations ought to be playing. And it made a nice upbeat change from all that depressing screamo stuff I’ve been listening to of late too. Rock on.