Flatpoint A/V "Black September" CD
[Redundant Audio International]
Not unlike their last 7", this full-length CD is somewhat upbeat indie rock mixed with hardcore/punk and a rocked out edge. It still reminds me of later Endpoint meets mid-period Jawbreaker or something along those lines, but this material tends to be slightly faster and more energetic, hell... sometimes it even brings Avail to mind. They've got a good sense of melody that's not what I would call direct. It's not blatantly melodic or catchy per se, sometimes the melody is darker or somewhat dissonant, but they're really good with layering parts together and building from one riff to another. "Rendered" is one of the fastest and most catchy pieces, definitely letting the punk influences come to the fore. The title track is a quick instrumental that utilizes some very carefully placed samples underneath melodic arpeggios and acoustic guitars layered with electric guitars and fairly calm percussion. The longest piece, "Bluebird", is quieter and much darker, with predominantly clean guitars and softly spoken vocals - a direction I'd love to hear more of. The production is pretty dry and rugged, but not in a bad way. It seems intentional and does match their style well. The drums are nice and natural, the bass has a lot of definition, the guitars ring open and aren't too heavy, the gruff singing is placed right next to the instruments rather than out front or behind them... I don't have any complaints. Visually this is 50/50, it's not as strong as the band's work tends to look, but parts of it are nice. Most of the booklet is black on colored paper, but there is some full color, so it was printed on a relatively high quality (but not professional) color printer, which is fine but leaves a weird tint to everything. The cover looks good and I really like the small photos inside, but the lyrics can be hard on the eyes and the Photoshop effects on the cityscape photo are cheesy. The lyrics are cool because they're brief and not overly direct, but still convey a subtle socio-political message at times. "The numbers never lie. We're stuck again in a way we never wanted in any way. So let's hear it for the last time. Give us another anthem, another common bond. Set us back another hundred years. Just let it fade away." I like this. I don't think the recording is a hindrance, but I would be curious to hear them with a more polished sound because I think that could lend even more emphasis to the tracks. I'm really surprised that this band hasn't found a home on a slightly larger label yet, because this is very competent material that could really grow with the right backing. (7/10)
Running time - 31:55, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Rendered, Eurasia, Black September, Bluebird]
Redundant Audio International - www13@prodigy.net

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