Is there still a market for generic, whiny emo? Seriously, is there? Do record labels and/or bands ever ask themselves this question? Obviously some labels and bands don’t because bands like Blood on the Tracks keep ending up in my cd review pile. Would it be so much to ask of bands to put together releases that actually make me want to listen to them instead of feeling like I have to suffer through each boring track?
When you boil them down, Blood on the Tracks can pretty much be described as Just Surrender (or any other rip-off emo-ish band) without the screaming, with more whining nasally vocals, without the energy, and with a slight garage rock influence. In the span of the six songs on this EP, there isn’t a lot that will actually illicit too much of a response from you, other than the reflexive action to hit the next button or, if the next button is out of reach, to simply sit back and nod off for a quick 20 minute nap.
…ok, so one song might be decent. “Love is Dead” is a jangly brit-rock inspired number that has the potential to get your feet tapping… but then, just as you raise your heel preparing to drop it in a catalytic maneuver, setting off the tapping sensation, the hand-claps of the song hit. Sadly, your foot returns to the ground without coming back up for a second tap, the catalyst no longer strong enough to start the reaction. An audible sigh can be heard emanating from your heel, as it was so anticipating a good tapping but alas, there were hand-claps.
And that analogy sums up this EP so well. You want it to be good. You hope that it’ll be interesting. You want to tap along, but once you actually dive into it you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the mediocrity of it all. With a bit of melancholy you move on knowing that you’ll never return to this cd again, which isn’t all that bad when you think about it. There are way too many good CDs out there to listen to that you shouldn’t worry about skipping over the lackluster ones, such as this EP.
No comments:
Post a Comment