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| Track list: 1. Weak Bones May Break 2. Anthem 3. Safe In The Air 4. Starter 5. Dark Country 6. Blue Shift 7. From Cold To Colder 8. Heath 9. Hope 10. The Disappearing Act 11. Get-Away Driver Running time: 44 minutes Released: 2001 |
Random interlude time. I think I have this because I really got on with And None of Them Knew They Were Robots so went looking for similar stuff. I don't know how successful that was, or indeed how similar this actually is, but I am reasonably confident that was the path that led me here.
There's certainly a base similarity in the structures on the opening track, and in the less than musical but effective vocal. It is... raw, yet with a nice bright sound in the melody despite the grungy garage rock sentiment. Oh, hey. A midweek evening post. I think its a first for this year. The first track maybe lasts a little long; by three minutes the impact has worn off. There isn't the instant visceral appeal of the Robots here, less emotion bleeding through the singer.
As Anthem starts I find the vocal flat, the slightly off-kilter style nasal and unappealing. The music is distant, alternating between very busy and very melodic, drum-heavy and tuneful. I think that is what appeals about this style - the juxtaposition of sheer noise with some really bright clear and tuneful lines. Its an evolution on punk, keeping the sheer energy and anarchy but harnessing it along with musicality, rather than chucking the latter out. That said, all interest fades from Anthem as the sounds become muted, the vocal long since dead. Long unnecessary lead out, followed by a long lead in to the third track, which is immediately better once the singing arrives - lyrics screamed out with controlled anger and offering the contrast to the tune. Raw emotion in those strained words, a vital ingredient to make this form work. It drains over the course of a track though as expectations reset and baseline, which means that I am finding anything past the three minute mark on these tracks much less interesting than the way they open.
More energy and life in Starter. Faster pace. Its also more obviously bland garage rock. Very generic sound, less craft. The constantly strummed bass note is such a staple, its clichéd. The extra momentum on the track is welcome though - if they could marry that, and the short snappy length, to the hoarse vocal of Safe in the Air and the tuneful/noisy contrast of the first track we might find a sweet spot. Red Animal War show a knack for a more interesting rhythm and structure on Dark Country, which I think is the best track so far - no one element as good as the counterpart on a prior track, but the whole hanging together better... for just under 3 of the 3 minutes 48 seconds anyway. The last minute could very easily not exist and it would be a better song.
This listen is both interesting - I am certain I have never paid attention to any of these tracks before - and frustrating. There's great core appeal here, but the execution is ever so slightly off each time, weak points in every song to offset the strengths that are evident. New favourite, Blue Shift. This one seems to avoid the trap of getting dull after the three minute mark, it shifts tone and tempo around a bit and works.
Isn't it funny how a vocal style can be really great on some tracks and really grate on others? Uncultured shouting is the effect I get from it in the context of From Cold to Colder, and yet I am fairly certain that the delivery is not far removed from the raw and angry sound I liked earlier. Hmm. Random change to acoustic intro, I don't think that was necessary or advisable. Heath is the longest track on the disc, just over 5 minutes and it starts one of the weakest. At its midpoint it has one of the most tuneful and pleasant sections of the album but for all that it is deathly dull. These guys showed that they had more to them than this, and the lighter sound may be more melodic but it doesn't have the heart of the noisier parts.
The opening of Hope has the balance more right - busy, bustling and loud. That is what I want from rockier, punkier music, the energy and life to overwhelm the senses and distract from the assault that is often a rather unpleasant base sound. There is nothing too untuneful here - the vocal aside, just lulls that dispel any sense of momentum. I think my take home from this listen is that I probably shouldn't go looking for more ... hold that thought. The Disappearing Act very strangely turns into a flute piece for a moment. That's a what the hell, out of the blue. Until it collapsed in on itself it had been a promising piece. Where was I? Oh, yes - do not go looking for anything in the same ear-busting, mind blowing category loud screaming punk-y rock; if it comes to me, great, but the up and down on this album suggests more than ever what a miracle in microcosm And None of them Knew They Were Robots was. I rather like bits and pieces of Breaking in an Angel, but as a whole... it ends up as much being defined for me by what it isn't as by what it actually is, and that's a shame.
There's certainly a base similarity in the structures on the opening track, and in the less than musical but effective vocal. It is... raw, yet with a nice bright sound in the melody despite the grungy garage rock sentiment. Oh, hey. A midweek evening post. I think its a first for this year. The first track maybe lasts a little long; by three minutes the impact has worn off. There isn't the instant visceral appeal of the Robots here, less emotion bleeding through the singer.
As Anthem starts I find the vocal flat, the slightly off-kilter style nasal and unappealing. The music is distant, alternating between very busy and very melodic, drum-heavy and tuneful. I think that is what appeals about this style - the juxtaposition of sheer noise with some really bright clear and tuneful lines. Its an evolution on punk, keeping the sheer energy and anarchy but harnessing it along with musicality, rather than chucking the latter out. That said, all interest fades from Anthem as the sounds become muted, the vocal long since dead. Long unnecessary lead out, followed by a long lead in to the third track, which is immediately better once the singing arrives - lyrics screamed out with controlled anger and offering the contrast to the tune. Raw emotion in those strained words, a vital ingredient to make this form work. It drains over the course of a track though as expectations reset and baseline, which means that I am finding anything past the three minute mark on these tracks much less interesting than the way they open.
More energy and life in Starter. Faster pace. Its also more obviously bland garage rock. Very generic sound, less craft. The constantly strummed bass note is such a staple, its clichéd. The extra momentum on the track is welcome though - if they could marry that, and the short snappy length, to the hoarse vocal of Safe in the Air and the tuneful/noisy contrast of the first track we might find a sweet spot. Red Animal War show a knack for a more interesting rhythm and structure on Dark Country, which I think is the best track so far - no one element as good as the counterpart on a prior track, but the whole hanging together better... for just under 3 of the 3 minutes 48 seconds anyway. The last minute could very easily not exist and it would be a better song.
This listen is both interesting - I am certain I have never paid attention to any of these tracks before - and frustrating. There's great core appeal here, but the execution is ever so slightly off each time, weak points in every song to offset the strengths that are evident. New favourite, Blue Shift. This one seems to avoid the trap of getting dull after the three minute mark, it shifts tone and tempo around a bit and works.
Isn't it funny how a vocal style can be really great on some tracks and really grate on others? Uncultured shouting is the effect I get from it in the context of From Cold to Colder, and yet I am fairly certain that the delivery is not far removed from the raw and angry sound I liked earlier. Hmm. Random change to acoustic intro, I don't think that was necessary or advisable. Heath is the longest track on the disc, just over 5 minutes and it starts one of the weakest. At its midpoint it has one of the most tuneful and pleasant sections of the album but for all that it is deathly dull. These guys showed that they had more to them than this, and the lighter sound may be more melodic but it doesn't have the heart of the noisier parts.
The opening of Hope has the balance more right - busy, bustling and loud. That is what I want from rockier, punkier music, the energy and life to overwhelm the senses and distract from the assault that is often a rather unpleasant base sound. There is nothing too untuneful here - the vocal aside, just lulls that dispel any sense of momentum. I think my take home from this listen is that I probably shouldn't go looking for more ... hold that thought. The Disappearing Act very strangely turns into a flute piece for a moment. That's a what the hell, out of the blue. Until it collapsed in on itself it had been a promising piece. Where was I? Oh, yes - do not go looking for anything in the same ear-busting, mind blowing category loud screaming punk-y rock; if it comes to me, great, but the up and down on this album suggests more than ever what a miracle in microcosm And None of them Knew They Were Robots was. I rather like bits and pieces of Breaking in an Angel, but as a whole... it ends up as much being defined for me by what it isn't as by what it actually is, and that's a shame.
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