Elementary Thought Process "Everyone's Anyone" CD
[Outreach]
This is an unusual one. "Blondes & Brunettes" opens the disc with a slow, quiet track of droning notes and distant vocals (basically spoken), only gradually increasing in volume and leaning towards yelled singing during one crescendo in its five minutes of length. Then "The Touchdown" kicks things in full with percussion, distorted guitars, screamed/sung vocals, and backing synths. The style becomes apparent as sort of dark, heavy emo type stuff, but it's looser and sort of strange compared to the genre's usual representations. The third track changes up the feel again, however, with more of a "boppy" sort of rocked out tempo that gives way to a somewhat traditional clean breaks accented by keyboards to give it that added quirkiness. "Optimistake" is a heavier hitting sort of track and I actually like the way it flows for the most part with a persistent rhythm and forceful drum hits, plus better integration of the keyboards. The singing is definitely a little questionable at times, as the guy doesn't always hit the notes he sounds like he's reaching for, and that's the biggest problem I've had with the past recordings I've heard from this band. So, I have to say, my problem with that still stands. The quieter singing/speaking and the screaming work well, but the core of the singing is a little off and needs work. Musically I think there are some great passages here and there, for example the awesome intro to the nine-minute "Furrow, Sillion, Furrow...", where eerie clean guitars break into a plodding rhythm backed by feedback and overloaded distortion textures. But the instrumental performances are also a little sloppy at times, sometimes intentionally, and I think they need more control there. It's strange, because the songwriting seems competent to me. I kind of like some of what's going on. There are definitely some strengths. I personally find the keyboards to be of no use here and they do actually create distractions at times (sans a little vocal awkwardness they're the key weakness in the otherwise moving "In Fifty Words"), but beyond that I think a little polishing of the playing and definitely more force behind the vocal accuracy is what's needed. The recording? I'm alright with it. It's effective. There's a certain ruggedness to some of the tones that lends a dated sort of mid-90's feel to the overall sound, but that works. I also think the mix is fine, as the vocals fall in with the music, there's a good level of density and cohesion between instruments, etc. Sometimes the placement feels a little strange, as in the vocals might be louder in the left channel than the right, but for the most part the sound fits their style. The layout is pretty minimal, but I like its consistently stripped down approach. No lyrics are included, just collaged photographs, torn and taped paper, and fabric. Pretty much all of the text is handwritten on notebook paper and taped onto a backing that was probably scanned straight in, and it actually works. I can't say I'm won over by the music, though. Some of the quieter and more emotional elements are definitely hitting on a side that I can appreciate, but the vocals are definitely still keeping me from enjoying the bulk of what's going on. And, it seems to be a common complaint of mine as well, but I really don't think this record should run nearly an hour. The songs average five to six minutes and the record itself drags. Some of these six-minute songs have about three minutes worth of good material, so there's no need for the extra meandering, you know? I hate to be so critical, but I have to be honest. There's definitely something at work here worth exploring, but future explorations definitely need a little something more. (5/10)
Running time - 57:51, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: In Fifty Words, Optimistake]
Elementary Thought Process - http://www.elementarythoughtprocess.com

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