Madeline Ferguson "A Long Walk With No Return" CD
[Slave Union]
Hmmm... I don't really know what you'd call this, but I'm getting a little bit of a "screamo" vibe, mainly due to the dual vocal approach mixing abrasive screams with some singing and the somewhat choppy and chaotic leaning of the music. As with the vocals, the music also mixes it up with both jangly clean guitars and rugged distorted chord progressions (often with a rhythmic slant). It's not exactly my thing, because "screamo" vocals tend to irritate me, and the singing isn't that hot either (it's not really in key). The songwriting isn't generic, though. The vocals I would probably call generic, but their musical approach is a lot different than most of this stuff, and I'll give them credit for coming up with an unusual combination in that regard. "Lessons in Accident Prevention" is one of the stronger tracks because the rhythms are darker and more discordant, and for some reason that tends to suit the vocals better - not to mention the fact that the clean breaks are a bit smoother and tighter in the performance department. "When Employees Attack" is also more effective. The integration of the sample is great, the grinding tempos are excellent, the dissonance is there... it's a far more fitting musical backdrop for the scathing vocals - and they still throw in some calm areas that sound far better than most of the other compositions herein. The last three tracks are demo recordings that show off a similar style that's a bit more controlled and has more of the laidback influences showing through. Not bad, but a bit bland if you ask me. The production is okay. I really don't like the guitar tone at all, though. The bass is really thick and polished, the drums are nice and natural, and the vocals, while stylistically not my thing, are tastefully mixed in with the music. But the guitar tone is too thin and sort of unnatural, and it really hurts them overall in my opinion. Something's falling flat, and it's mainly the guitars. I don't know... The layout doesn't do much for me. It's okay, but it's really plain. The colors are an odd choice, as is the artwork (simple paintings of a sunrise), and I'm not really into the repetitive collages of band photos either. Inside are just the lyrics in straight white text over a black background. The lyrics are sort of witty at times, though a lot of the content is personal and covers stale topics, but they still do a good job. "I wrote these words on the clock I wrote these words in your blood there's no 'Inc.' in team the twitch of an overused muscle fast asleep dreaming of being wrapped around your long since cold throat it was only a dream, but my hate for you goes beyond a mere eight hours a day..." More tracks along the lines of "Lessons in Accident Prevention" and "When Employees Attack" probably would've made this a winner, but I'm not really taken by this material overall. (5/10)
Running time - 29:41, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Lessons in Accident Prevention, When Employees Attack]
Slave Union - http://www.slaveunion.com

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