It’s awesome when an emo band put out a release that actually looks emo. This is the works. Basic packaging with a big chunk of card that has the band named handwritten on it beneath a unique old photograph, a bajillion inserts, a couple of kids screened in black and white on the back of the record. The only un-emo thing about this is the coloured vinyl. Wack. Should be on the thinnest blackbuttransluscentifyouholdituptothelight vinyl ever to score real emo points.
Anyway, lets talk about the music. This is a fine slice of the modern interpretation of the mid 90s genre, which is good because it means that the band isn’t just copying Indian Summer and leaving it at that, but also not quite as good because it means they have some modern things like some not so good sung vocal parts on one or two songs that would have been done as spoken vocal ‘back in the day’. But don’t let that you put you off as this is a real good release. The first song is one of the best emo tracks I have had the pleasure to hear in quite some time. It kicks off with the perfect twinkle part before building up to the crybaby groove, the bass is sublime as they hit the part where the band drives on. The song drops out for a short while towards the end too, and that works nicely. There are five songs in total, and the other 4 never quite reach the heights of the opener, but the record definitely has its moments. They tend to deal in intense and miserable emo with hoarse crying the mainstay, and dropping into whiney singing at times. It’s pretty much by the book with nice twinkly intro’s and excitable explosive parts and all that, and Burned out Bright has a happy knack of being pretty damn good at it too. The fourth track is a standout, hitting a strong melodic groove from the start and breaking down into a really cute middle part, the vocals on this one are great “” kind of distant and lost in the turmoil “” lots of verge of tears stuff going on and a really smart stark finish with just one guitar slowly playing out the final lonesome notes.
The band has split up now but this is a good legacy to leave behind. I think this will be well appreciated by anyone into Die, Emperor! Die! or Staircase (though they are not as hard sounding as these guys) or any good emo from the past couple of years really. Good show folks.