Is there something in the water up in the Northeast part of this country that causes bands to just not suck? There must be, because just recently signed to Orange Peal Records is a band called ClearviewKills, whose EP titled Wrap This Around Your Neck is, for lack of a better adjective, amazing.
These songs can best be described as sing-a-long hardcore, and by doing this they bring an entire group to their music, which would otherwise feel isolated because of the screaming. I always find it easier when someone says that they are like this band, or sound like a cross between these two bands, and the best way to describe what Clearview sounds like would be to cross Evergreen Terrace with Rancid, and somewhere in there infuse some sort of typical emo band.
The main thing that sets this band apart from almost every other screamo band out there is the fact that the screaming isn�t second to the singing. The band holds strong to its influences and places the screaming in the forefront, and the singing is the backing tool. This factor puts them ahead of almost anything else that has been released, in this type of genre, in quite some time.
One of the main things that made this CD so damn enjoyable is the voice of the primary screamer. His voice could only be described as what a '67 Buick's rusty axle would sound like if it had been drinking whiskey for four days straight. When he breaks in and out of the screaming, which he does skillfully I might add, it�s that true punk sound that has been missing from music for quite a while.
It must be said that the layout of this CD is impeccably done. In my opinion, what separates a CD that is good from a CD that is great is the way in which the songs play out. The opening introduction is a melodic haunting which has the ability to stand on its own as a song, and that can�t be said for a lot of introductions. The highlight of this CD is "Lost And Lonely." The seamless melding between the sing-a-long choruses and screaming part prior is one hell of a transfer, one of the best that I�ve heard in a while.
Perhaps the only downfall of the songs on this CD is that a few of them are about thirty to thirty-five seconds too long. "Goodnight," another amazing song on the CD, is perfect at about 2:38, but for some reason the band chooses to extend it and the song just doesn�t need it. The first two and half minutes are strong enough to stand on their own and don�t really need the extra forty seconds of repetition of the chorus.
Still with that, it is my opinion that this CD is where music is going. It�s soft when it needs to be, and hard everywhere else. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys hardcore, screamo, punk, and even metal. Their influences are so broad that nearly everyone can find something on this CD that they�ll love.
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N.B. '06 |
