ALBUM REVIEW: La Dispute- Rooms of the House
It’s a bit unnecessary to lump La Dispute in with this whole “Emo Renaissance” (I won’t call it a revival). The band has been around since 2008, and they have two well received albums, Somewhere At the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair and Wildlife. Despite their clear history, many have lumped their stronger post-hardcore tendencies into this growing trend popularized by bands you’d find on Topshelf Records or Tiny Engines. However, even if they don’t necessarily belong in the same list as You Blew It! or the Hotelier, when they are, they stick out.
A lot of Emo music, despite the heart-on-its-sleeve delivery, can feel somewhat distance. Lyrics may seem vague or unspecific, and only vaguely tragic or despondent. Even the best bands of this Renaissance can fail to truly capture something special when it comes to lyrical things. Rooms of the House is a moody album, and probably the band’s most Emo-sounding album yet, from the dynamic contrast in songs to right down to the blues of the album cover. It also achieves this feat by outdoing their contemporaries lyrically, with Jordan Dreyer exploring lyrics so personal that the album comes across as being a Hardcore Benji.
The band has a very particular sound, and they do it pretty well. This album is divided by angst-ridden rockets and slower, more somber songs. They do both with equal ability and effect, and the contrast in the two styles. Some of the heavier songs can become a bit samey, with little sonically that separates them. Luckily, Dreyer’s vocals are commanding enough to make even the least unique songs worthwhile. Tracks also follow very basic structures, which helps the album to move along rather fast. The propulsive songs aren’t the highlights of the album (Save the nicely done intro, Hudsonville, MI 1956), but they serve to make the album less homogenous and add grit to the more emotive quiet songs.
Really, the emphasis on this album is lyrics. Dreyer is an excellent story teller, exploring emotional ruin with a scope so precise that the pain is almost palpable. Their sound doesn’t lend itself to long lengths, but they do surprisingly well on Rooms of the House. Even when the sound can falter into monotonous territory, Dreyer can keep full attention with his bold and personal lyrics. It manages to keep a nice energy throughout, and the despondent tone never really brings it down. It’s a nice mixture of Dreyer’s depression and the rest of the band’s unrelenting energy. The sound doesn’t really open anything over repeat listens, but it’s a formula that works well for the band. It’s really the band’s effectiveness in adapting their sound for each song that’s so enjoyable. Their ability to quietly back a near whisper at the beginning of Woman (In Mirror) or the almost ballady vibe of the stunning spoken word closer Objects In Space really make the album shine, while also exponentially cranking up the volume of depression.
In terms of bringing out the bitterness and sadness associated with places of the past, Dreyer hits the nail on the head with the lyrics. Throughout the entire album this theme repeats and never gets old, with new anecdotes fleshing out the “point” to it’s fullest extent, with the band backing everything with some nice competence and energy that makes Rooms of the House a memorable and worthwhile album, whether or not it’s actually a part of this whole Emo Renaissance.
Summary: Rooms of the House, despite almost veering into monotonous territory, manages to illustrate a depressive and nostalgic message with energetic songs contrasting slower and emotive pieces, crafting a worthy and introspective post-hardcore record.
Choice Cuts: Hudsonville, MI 1956; 35; Objects in Space
Leftovers: First Reactions After Falling Through the Ice
B
You can stream Stay Happy There here. Rooms of the House is out now on Staple.
ALBUM REVIEW: You Blew It!- Keep Doing What You’re Doing
Unlike many fellow bloggers, I’m 18. I’m still in High School, and when Emo rock was blowing up with Sunny Day Real Estate and Saves the Day, I was probably still shitting myself. However, there’s no denying that that music eventually would have influence on music I did connect with. I’m sure all those awful pop-punk bands that I was obsessed with in High School had some roots in the angst-driven Midwest Emo of the late 90s and early 00s. Plus, I’ve had the decency to go back and listen to those earlier bands and appreciate what they did. So, I can at least vicariously feel some nostalgia in this sudden Emo Revival. Topshelf Records, the frontrunner in this revival, have given us another album defined by this revival, and it’s most “revivalist” album in this movement yet.
You Blew It!, Orlando’s major player in this revival, come across as being a cleaner Cap’n Jazz…or a cleaner version of any 90s emo band on Keep Doing What You’re Doing. The vocals only veer into screechy territory during power choruses and the guitars and drums never get messy or tangled. While a “clean and cut” sounds pretty bland (The label claimed that this record has the band “dialing back on their more raw influences…”, it’s amazing just how engaging and enjoyable Keep Doing What You’re Doing Is.
In fact, this album probably harkens back more to the cleaner early 00s Emo Punk-Pop, with relatively simple song structures (Many of the songs try to go for the classic verse-chorus formula) and smoother vocals. However, You Blew It! manage to take this somewhat sterile approach and make something transcendentally fresh with it.
The lead vocals here are probably one of the best elements Keep Doing What You’re Doing has going for it. On songs like Award of the Year Award, the raw and inspired singing that verges on yelling amps up the energy and really resonates in a way similar to the bands that inspired them. Even though they’re most noticeable when they’re loud and bombastic (Like with the explosive gang vocals on Better to Best), there are subtle moments where they shine through as well, like on the outro of House Address or during Regional Dialect. There are moments that I wish there was more diversity in the vocals-the subdued You & Me & Me is a bit too sweet and monotonous- but for the most part the vocals have the ability to command attention and deliver some incredibly emotive moments.
The guitars here also shine through, delivering riffs and tones with solid execution. They aren’t overly intricate or loud, but they demand attention through how masterfully they’re executed. Part of what grabs you in the first couple of seconds on this LP is how well done the opening riffs are on Match and Tinder. House Address also attests to how integral guitar is to this album working. Even though experimentation is kind of low here (Save a gloriously odd solo at the tail end of Rock Springs), the guitar does the best it can to make Keep Doing What You’re Doing a very good album.
Keep Doing What You’re Doing isn’t a revolutionary album in this revival, but it is a very well executed and incredibly enjoyable one. The band has found a sound that works for them and uses it to its fullest extent. It sounds just like its influences, and honestly would fit right in with those bands.
Summary: Keep Doing What You’re Doing manages to be a fine example of what this Emo Revival has to offer, with great guitars and vocals keeping every song (From the fantastic ones to the bland ones) interesting and enjoyable.
Choice Cuts: Match and Tinder, House Address, Better to Best
Leftovers: You & Me & Me
B
You can stream House Address below. Keep Doing What You’re Doing is out 1/14 (Tomorrow) on Topshelf Records.
ALBUM REVIEW/RISING ARTIST: Tancred- Tancred
Topshelf Records is one of my favorite independent labels out there today, and that comes from the heart. They are always pushing really interesting and well crafted music, and a lot of it is wonderfully emotional and nostalgic (See TWIAB). Now, they have the sophomore record from Tancred, a New England singer/songwriter who specializes in breezy and warm Indie Pop. A lot of bands that try this sort of sound normally fail because it’s a hard sound to pull off without sounding cheesy or overwrought. Jess Abbott, like many other Topshelf artists before her (and unlike a lot of pop singer/songwriters), manages to make the most out of her genre.
Abbott’s music sounds a lot like per-synthesizer Tegan & Sara, but with a bit more attitude and interesting ideas. The choruses here are all very pleasant, the riffs are terrific too. The meshing of thicker strumming and Abbott’s distinct but light voice on songs like Indiana work incredibly well, creating a pleasant emo sound that’s prevalent among a lot of Topshelf artists, but giving it a unique edge on the label, and let’s face it, in the genre. The choruses, the lighter guitar licks, and the relatively short track lengths help this album breeze by like a smooth Real Estate record, or a more tolerable Best Coast record (Albeit with more real emotion and much better singing).
Despite the overall sonic pleasantness of this record (and it’s really, really pleasant), this album is driven by Jess Abbott’s vocals and lyrics. There are moments where she hits high notes that make the song retrospectively incredible. Hard To Leave begins somewhat unevenly and feels a bit draggy. But the song grows and grows into this subtle and beautiful song where Abbott really shows off her vocal chops. When you return to the song, it gets better every time. Thicker riffs throughout the album tend to blend well with Abbott’s distinct and calm vocals, creating a chill mood that not many artists can get right.
There are a couple moments here that show that Tancred is still a growing artist. Thicker Than Blood is a bit too heavy compared to the rest of the album and gives off some weird Alanis Morissette vibes. However, it still is better than most debut albums I have heard this year, and it brings something fresh to a label and scene already full of fresh somethings.
Summary: Tancred is a breezy and very enjoyable emo/indie pop record that shows off Jess Abbott’s potential with some really great songs, solid production, and an overall pleasant aesthetic.
Choice Cuts: The Ring, Twelve, Indiana
Leftovers: Thicker Than Blood
B+
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You can stream The Ring below. Tancred is out now on Topshelf Records.
Vantage Point Music 