This is somewhat raw sounding hardcore/punk with a rocked out indie edge that sounds somewhat similar to Redundant Audio International's recent Flatpoint A/V release (i.e. imagine a blend of some of those older Louisville bands and Avail or something). The songs tend to be very short (hovering right around two minutes, give or take) and mix energetic tempos with slower laidback clean passages, topped off by dry singing vocals that border on yelling at times. The basslines roam around a lot behind ringing open guitar chords, and the singing can get pretty catchy, especially in songs like "Winning at Losing is Winning" that use more layering. "Novoseltsev" is a bit more melodic and somewhat more somber as well, standing out from the rest of the disc, but for me it's the faster and more explosive tracks like "Ste. Marie" that really hit home. The use of acoustic guitars in the subtle "Mistretta" makes for a great piece, however. I don't mind the production at all. I think the dry, natural tones work well for their style, even if it is a bit rougher around the edges than usual. The mix is really even, so that's nice. The drums sound good, the bass holds its own, the guitars are lightly distorted and the vocals have plenty of space and texture. The layout's really nice, all printed in black ink on think matte paper that has a slightly marbleized brown tint. All of the images, illustrations, and text are small and crisp, and the arrangement is compact. The lyrics are rather succinct and tend to deal with socio-political ideas, albeit somewhat indirectly at times. "They've got you hooked on saccharine, caffeine, and ephedrine. Coat it all with alcohol. It's ritual. It keeps us all. It's everywhere. It's in the air. It's unavoidable. It enrages you, it dumbs me down. It placates you and ignites everything around. Another reason never to believe." This is a good disc, but I don't find it to be as wholly memorable as their labelmates Flatpoint A/V. A handful of these songs would've made an excellent 7". I'll be curious to hear their future work, though.
[Redundant Audio International]
Running time - 29:00, Tracks: 14
[Notable tracks: Winning at Losing is Winning, Ste. Marie, Mistretta]
Redundant Audio International - [email protected]
