The Bitter Life Typecast "A Greater Love is Still Unknown" CD
[Outreach]
The Bitter Life Typecast keeps getting better, as thus far I've enjoyed each release a bit more than the last. Their songwriting continues to get a bit stronger with time, perhaps stripping down and getting more refined in some ways, but at the same time bringing in new influences and developing into more memorable compositions. I love the singing this time out, there aren't any harmonies or anything, but the guy has a great voice and really feels comfortable now, so his range and emphasis works nicely. Musically the songs revolve around fairly simple clean guitars and plodding bass with tasteful drumming backing everything up. On occasion some subtle little synth textures creep in, but they don't become a disruption. This material does tend to all sound similar, and I think the band could do a bit more as far as layering guitars or working more with chords rather than notes, but I definitely like this. The recording is definitely the best the band has achieved thus far. Ringing guitars, resonant drums, a strong bass presence, smooth vocals, and a bright, clear mix... I wouldn't really do much. I like it when the guitars get really lush and smooth, and for the most everything is really well placed in the mix. The layout is pretty minimal, but I like it for the most part. The front and back covers contain minimal text with some nice little sketches, and the back of the insert is blank. All of the text is pretty much under the CD tray, including the tracklist (which can be hard to read), so it's fairly compact. No lyrics are included, just a few tiny band photos, recording information, etc. I hope this is the direction the band is going to continue to build upon, because the results could be rather impressive. (7/10)
Running time - 15:28, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: 0.2%/I Feel Like Gatsby, Something Like an Interlude Two]
Outreach Records - http://www.outreachrecords.net

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