The album doesn't waste any time with
intros. "Ski Mask" is fast enough, as a shot of adrenaline, to have the
listener's attention. “Mercy Is Asleep At The Wheel” starts off
with a radio-friendly melody (which let's pretend isn't stuck in my
head) that leads to a stormy finale. The transition to “Ghosts In
The Photographs” is almost seamless. This the sort of song I'd
expect to hear in teen comedy, or have blasting while driving with
the windows rolled down. “Sister Saint Monica” is a distorted,
more downtempo composition with a grungier feeling while “Pour Two Glasses” is a beautiful ballad, where the violin, the raspy vocals
and the acoustic guitar perfectly intertwine in a meaningful
attestation; “I'm not coming home for Christmas/I'm coming home for
you”. “Lake Superior” returns to the character of the album.
The vocal melody will have the listener hooked, specially in a live
setting, singing along 'till the end. “Laugh Ourselves To Death”
is one of the more dynamic tracks in the album despite the raw cynicism of the lyrics. “Blood Moon” and “You're The Cure” have a
punkier vibe, returning to the theme established with the first
songs. I am personally a big fan of albums that start and finish
employing similar patterns or a recurring theme, and just when I
thought that balance and the perfect circle were achieved, “Hearts”
turned out to be a minimalist ballad. It's not a bad track by any
means, just not the crescendo that would allow the album to go out
with a bang.
I should acknowledge the sterile
production and the arrangement of the songs, certain of which manage
to hold a melancholic character without being sad songs. I liked that
only two tracks surpassed the 3-minute mark; the shorter length
really brought out the unique character of each composition. Although
this style of music it's not my cup of tea, "Cities In Search Of A Heart" is a quality comeback effort.
7/10
0 σχόλια :
Post a Comment