Free Verse "Generator" CD
[Buttermilk]
The last full-length I heard from this all-female trio out of Seattle was somewhat strange, and this material is no different in that regard. I'm not that into it, but there's still promise, and I like the fact that they can't be easily classified at all. All sorts of different styles play a role here, from hardcore/punk and indie rock to metal and alterative sounds, so the songs are a mixed bag of heavier chords and softer dynamics with lots of quirky runs and a wide range of vocal styles from singing and screaming to spoken passages or an aggressively snarled yell that sounds a hell of a lot like a female version of Kurt Brecht from D.R.I. I'm starting to feel like the band is almost too diverse for their own good, though. For example, the aforementioned D.R.I.-esque vocals are awesome, but some of the singing and other more aggressive vocals feel a little forced. Musically some of the darker and more discordantly melodic rhythms are very cool, but the writing is so inconsistent that much of this angle falls by the wayside and never reaches its full potential. And take for instance "Lost in Those Hours", which is longer and has some more melodic pop-punk styled lead runs at the start that don't fit in well at all - I far prefer the aggressive vocals and dissonant chords of "No Strings Attached" (though that track has its faults as well). "The Last Fight" has a good sense of heaviness to it with a moderate pace, but if the singing was stronger it would be far more powerful. The monotone delivery of the singing feels a little strained and isn't quite confident enough to pull it off. "Mierda" has more of a hardcore/punk drive to its rhythms and I like the vocal patterns as well, making for by far the strongest of the more pissed off songs herein. Sound-wise it's alright. A little rough around the edges and with what I might guess is an intentional bit of rawness, but fine for the most part. The bass plays a good role, the drums sound decent, the guitars are alright, etc. It's a little plain, but the mix is fairly even, and I think they'd be fine with this setup if the songwriting was more to my liking. Visually this one's 50/50, though. The artwork is rather strange, showing a cat with human body parts sewn onto portions of its body, and I like the style and color scheme of the art, but everything else is rather bland and plain. It's clean and easy to read, it just lacks a little something. The lyrics are a mix of personal issues and larger commentary that often deals with the subject falling into the preconceived standards and routines of today's society, but while nothing's all that bad I'm just not struck by the content. I'm torn on this one. I definitely respect their creativity and the fact that they're doing something original, but in a weird way I think if they'd just cut their losses and go for something more straightforward they could do some real damage, you know? (5/10)
Running time - 32:48, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: No Strings Attached, Mierda]
Buttermilk Records - http://www.buttermilkrecords.com

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