Album Review: Comadre's Self-Titled

Whatever you want to call it, "Screamo," in its more traditional sound, is beginning to slowly rebuild its tattered image which many would attribute to the misnomering during the mid-2000s. Bands like Birds in Row, Suis La Lune, Single Mothers, and Loma Prieta focus more on musicality, ingenuity, and most importantly avoiding trends. Comadre started in 2004, right around the time where Screamo saw its bifurcation, though, admittedly, this is my first time seriously listening to the band. I checked out some of the band's previous releases, wasn't blown away, but got a better feel for where the band was coming from. Comadre's latest album, self-titled, exemplifies just how the band has been able to thrive, evolving in the most concentrated area of this Screamo revival, the San Francisco Bay Area.

What Comadre does for this band's discography should never be burdened with "Their earlier records are better," which is always the most juvenile thing anyone can say about a band from a distinct geographical sound and faithful fan base -- look at the divide Ceremony's Zoo inspired, despite clearly being a solid transitional record. The arrangements on this album are not entirely new to the genre but surprising in their efficacy, including a variety of keys, acoustic guitar, and trumpet - the last instrument eliciting Suis La Lune comparisons, "Drag Blood" being the obvious example. They do pretty much everything right on this record, rarely failing to do these instrumental forays justice. 

There is something to be said about the production of this album: it's very specific to the record. I couldn't find a version of this record without some apparent crackle and static on it, which ends up serving as sort of a bloody patina, magnifying the rough and tough sound of the band. Comadre was recorded entirely by the band, backed up by Vitriol. Some instruments peak, yet never sound out of place or like a mistake. By controlling recording, Comadre is able to watermark their sound, which gains more and more importance as the Age of Information proliferates copycat bands everywhere. Comadre furthers Screamo's reappropriation by offering the true voice of a band, one unfiltered. 

And while pretty much every song, and its placement, on Comadre is a win, there is one glaring flaw in the record: the last song doesn't close the record strongly enough. "Date Night", the album's last track, begins like a slow-building closer normally would, progresses into a stomper, but then its finale doesn't run with the momentum the rest of the record grants it. The last section of the song could have lasted another couple measures, taking a victory lap for the rest of Comadre. This record could have easily ended with "Binge" and its sampled piece of nostalgia. Although this is only one song, the opener and closer are often the two strongest, most important songs on an album. One could argue this reinvents how records are constructed, but having a weak closer leaves a bad taste in the mouth, with no exceptions.

Final Grade: B+

The Best Albums of 2012: Honorable Mentions

These are the albums that are notable from 2012, but not exactly "best of" material; not everything can be the best. A punk legend stripping down his sound; some of the oddest, darkest pop I have ever heard; and an Odd Future member are included, here, for their originality and skilled musicianship. These are mostly grower albums, or saccharine morsels of pop with atypical substance. If you think you have exhausted the lot of great albums that came out in 2012, here are some more to enjoy.

Tindersticks - The Something Rain 
[Constellation]

"Shit. I was never a 'breast man' anyway," ends the opening track "Chocolate", a song about a man falling for a transvestite, and the ensuing embarrassment. This is the song that inspired the British band's ninth studio album, a short story written by David Boulter, the band's keyboardist. If you can make it through the nine minute opener, then you should have no trouble with the rest of The Something Rain. A well-composed, artfully pretty album, Tindersticks prove that over a decade into their career, they still have something to sing about, be it transvestites or whatever.



Loma Prieta - I.V. 
[Dethwish]

I thought Loma Prieta had achieved the benchmark of the new age of Screamo with 2009's Dark Mountain, and though I don't think I.V. is better than the aforementioned record, I do believe Loma Prieta are one of the most consistently good Screamo bands to date. Constantly innovating a tired genre - although 2012 saw an influx of increasingly excellent, original Screamo releases - Loam Prieta hits hard and efficiently, knowing exactly when to pull the punches, too. This obviously isn't a record for everyone, but for Screamo and Hardcore lovers, it would be a huge mistake to sleep on this one.



The Evens - The Odds 
[Dischord]

This is punk stripped down to two instruments and two singers. It's simple. Ian MacKaye, yet again, finds a way to make a genre struggling to be taken seriously sound fresh, reborn. Amy Farina, MacKaye's life partner, provides the drumming for the band - not overly difficult drum-work yet not Meg White simple, a perfect addition to MacKaye's baritone guitar. The lyrics are clever, the music is simple, the product is excellent. Although there isn't much variation in the songs, this is a proven formula and The Odds is certainly worth your time.



Bob Mould - Silver Age 
[Merge]

Bob Mould is still pissed off, but he knows some of it is his fault, and he's taking steps to forgive himself. Throughout Silver Age, it feels like Mould is taking on more and more blame, until "First Time Joy" finally acknowledges the aging indie legend's accomplishments. Hüsker Dü is dead, Sugar just reissued a bunch of their material, and Bob Mould is still making great rock records. "The Descent" is a self-deprecating victory lap, an anchor of a solid album from a man who has given music lovers three decades of excellent material.



 
Hospitality - Hospitality 
[Merge]

With thoughtful composition, on-point pop sensibility, and a cutesy edge, Hospitality made one of the smartest, cleanest albums of 2012. Hospitality is a carefree romp through life in New York. "Friend of Friends" features a bouncing horn section weaving in and out of its chorus with minimal effort; "The Right Profession" runs much like Vampire Weekend's "Cousins", but a few paces slower; and "Argonauts" is a confidently arranged, sweet piece of chamber pop. There is a lot of range on Hospitality, making it pretty easy to forget that this if their first full-length as a band, a mature debut.



Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits 
[Merge]

An indie super group comprised of members from Spoon and Wolf Parade: How could it fail to be anything less than the sum of its parts? It doesn't, and A Thing Called Divine Fits would have been the best album to come out in the early 80s. Calling on sounds of The Human League and Psychedelic Furs, Divine Fits string together eleven excellent tracks. Although I do prefer the Dan Boeckner songs over Britt Daniel's - I may be in the minority here - both singers proudly represent themselves, offering a dual-headed reckoning of New Wave and Brit-Pop. It's unclear as to whether Divine Fits will continue as a full-time band, so we'll just have to pray A Thing Called Divine Fits isn't the collaboration's only release.


Alt-J - An Awesome Wave 
[Infectious]

Alt-J is a band as frustrating as it is good. An Awesome Wave has excellent songs on it, but also some not so excellent interludes. For fans of Math Rock, there are plenty of syncopated drums and deft guitar riffs to keep you happy; and lead singer Joe Newman's voice sounds a bit like Maps & Atlases' Dave Davidson but more refined and clearer. These are glistening art pieces with the guises of songs, bright and shiny trinkets soft, out of focus. If you do enjoy An Awesome Wave, make sure you check out the band's music videos, as they are as artful as the music - even if you don't like this album, definitely don't miss the video for "Breezeblocks".


Hodgy Beats - Untitled EP 
[Odd Future Records]

I want Odd Future to succeed, not on a platform of misogyny and violence, but originality and unbridled youth. Hodgy Beats breaks from the now-stale, pigeonholing production of Left Brain to work with Flying Lotus, The Alchemist, and Juicy J, an unexpected move that pays off more and more with each listen. This is the human Hodgy Beats, not the false idol teenagers worship. With Hodgy taking more of a spotlight on this release - the EP has no other rappers - his voice sounds much more playful, and a lot like an edgy Childish Gambino. I would like to see more and more producers brought into the Odd Future catalog, so the Untitled EP is a welcomed breath of fresh air, in a discography full of harsh synths and choppy, bulky drums.

Revisiting Poison the Well: Kyle Murphy Wears Girls' Pants and Youth Large T-Shirts

Back when I was in high school, I was into a breed of music I would now classify as "not that good," or "shitty," but there are a few bands I am extremely proud to recall as early influences: The Receiving End of Sirens, Kevin Devine, Trophy Scars, Bear vs. Shark, and there are some other good ones too, I swear. During a recent discussion of 90s hardcore with fellow Flatted Third writer Ben Goodheart, I was reminded of the fact he doesn't care for the "chugga-chugga" hardcore. This first came up in discussion when I played Poison the Well on our radio show last year. I loved Poison the Well in high school. Opposite of December was probably my most played record freshman year - the record kicked off my metalcore phase, one that unfortunately led to the Vannas and Underoaths of the world. But I guess my venture was honest, yet somehow ended up misguided. So, when news of a double reissue, both Opposite of December and Tear from the Red in the same gatefold, was announced on Rise Records' website -- LOL, I know, Rise Records -- I flipped a shit and ordered it, though I couldn't joyfully share this news with Ben.

With Hurricane Sandy approaching, I thought I would venture through Poison the Well's discography - well, the records I listened to in high school - in order to get me pumped for this double reissue; a joy that only I could indulge in. I spent the entire day listening to the band that started one of my worst fashion decisions: girls' pants and youth large t-shirts.

Debut
The Opposite of December (1999)
I was reminded just how "chugga-chugga" they are. But then again, this is the band that made it popular; they may not have been the first, though they are often cited as bringing it to everyone's attention, beginning the spiral into a thousand shitty derivative bands. "12/23/93" is a kick in the teeth from the drum fill that starts it all off, but it's what happens at 1:08 where you notice a difference between every other band and Poison the Well: there is a clean chord, followed by another ear beating dose of hardcore, flowing into that misnomered "emo" singing that countless bands have copied, finally ending with a mix of everything coming before it in the song. This mix of everything is what enticed me - the fact that a band could be heavy as all Hell, then flip a switch and become the anthesis, and end with two contradictions sounding somewhat natural together. The second song "A Wish for Wings that Work" introduces spoken-word lyrics -- I had never really heard anything like this before, so by the second song, I was completely blown away. This was everything I wanted but didn't know existed. The whole album lasts less than a half-hour, so it makes sense that I've heard it about two-hundred times and counting. "Nerdy" is still my favorite song, but over time I have come to appreciate every song on here equally, being able to spot future influences in my on guitar playing and the music I listen to now.

The Follow-Up

Tear from the Red (2002)

I have read many times how rushed this record was. And the pressure shows, although not as much as the exhausted effort to follow up what was being considered a genre-defying record, nearly three years later. The sophomore record is usually a tell-tale sign of how a band will progress in the future, if there is a future -- it is why I only expect two albums from a band to consider them noteworthy. With the way December ends, light chords and fading screams, it sounds like a band running out of energy, assuaging its own legacy. "Botchla" kicks off Tear from the Red with the signature singing and chords, a prelude to ensuing chaos. Poison the Well continues to exercise its heavy/light formula on this record, one they popularized. And "Botchla" is a great opener, but "Lazzaro" seems determined to kill any momentum. It's one of my least favorite songs of theirs, and certainly exhibits the quickening deadline the band must have felt. Thank god for "Turn Down Elliot" and its breakdown, a familiar, welcomed sound for the band.  The song builds momentum back up and the album is back on track, right? Not if "Horns and Tails" has anything to say about it. The band's first acoustic song that launched a thousand closers simply blows. I hate this song, well, I haven't always hated it - it made a great freak-out AIM profile quote. But this is what most fans always fear: the inevitable acoustic break from an otherwise brutal band. This break in the record is exactly what Tear from the Red suffers from: unexpected inconsistency. I understand that it may have been rushed, but you could easily trim about eight minutes of fat from a record that's nearly a minute long than its predecessor and still have a full-length. 

The Major Label Debut
You Come before You (2003)
It's what every fan fears - the band you loved has sold out, signed to a major label. Tear from the Red ended on the same note that started it. A record that was rife with simply bad, lazy songs, Red had every fan worried. Little did anyone know, Poison the Well weren't dead yet, and a major label wouldn't ruin the band forever either. Shot out of a fucking cannon, "Ghostchant" opens the record. It is an amazing hardcore song, raising all lowered expectations. It's well constructed, paced, and original, yet still very much Poison the Well. It's certainly telling of the music still to come on You Come before You. The rest of the album is just as strong and fresh as the opener, flowing beautifully from song to song -- I don't want to go too far into detail here, because I want to inspire you, the reader, to listen to it with somewhat fresh ears. Surprisingly, and still a pretty new concept to 13 year-old Kyle Murphy, there are even elements of post-rock on this thing: "The View from Here", "A Bandaged Iris", and "Sounds like the End of the World". And although it lacks the impact of The Opposite of December, You Come before You is a much better record, Poison the Well's best. I will still revisit this record whenever I'm sick of mewithoutyou.


Though the band went on to release two more albums -- 2007's Versions, 2009's The Tropic Rot -- I had since moved on from the metalcore phase of my life, thankfully. They're both pretty good releases, but they'll never sound the same as the first three records did. 2012 saw a lot of really good screamo records from the likes of Birds in Row, Suis La Lune, and Loma Prieta, and I was reminded of Poison the Well in a lot of the mentioned band's music, all albums coming out over a decade after December. So, maybe I wasn't so wrong about this band and can add them to the list, though I'm certain I listened to a lot of shitty other bands aping off Poison the Well, all while wearing girls' pants and youth large t-shirts. The fact that the first two records are being reissued together is somewhat bittersweet - having Tear from the Red forever bound to December - but at least The Opposite of December will be added to my collection, except now I have to wait for news of a You Come before You reissue.

Catch Up: 5 Albums You May Have Missed from 2012

It's nearly impossible to listen to everything noteworthy that comes out in a given year. Hell, I often find bands I love after they have broken up or a member died. What you should never do is catalogue a year, then forget about it. There's no shame in buying a DeLorean, going back a year, and finding an album you love - well, maybe there's some shame in all that 80's tail that'll be heading your way, aged and still dreaming to be the girl in the White Snake video. So here are some of the year's best music that, may not have been missed by all sites, but didn't get the proper coverage they deserved.

Joyce Manor - Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired 

Now, for most people I know, they are already well aware of this record - I have had it in heavy rotation in my car, and all of my other friends' cars who let me DJ. It's Long Island Pop-Punk, but the same way Brand New was Long Island Emo with Screams (L.I.E.S.); it's intelligent, original, and moving. There's even a cover of "Video Killed the Radio Star" that doesn't make you want to rip your hair out! It seems Absolute Punk was right...wait, what? Well, their community still sucks, giving the record a mere 72/100. The production is decidedly less lo-fi from the band's previous release, which really helps bring out all the subtle inflections that make this release so exciting and fresh. 

Joey Bada$$ - 1999

The album sounds like the title suggests: a return to the golden years of hip-hop. Featuring boom-bap beats, guest spots from the larger Progressive Era crew, and Joey's time tested - not necessarily by him - flow and style. 1999 feels comfortable all throughout. It's hard to believe he's only 17. With beats ranging from J Dilla, MF Doom, and Statik Selektah, this is a noteworthy mixtape, in a era where the lines between album and mixtape are beginning to blur more than ever. Album highlight "Survival Tactics" attracted the attention of Pitchfork and the website did a feature on the rapper. The best part is you can download the mixtape here for free. Yay, internet! 

Suis La Lune - Riala

Easily the least accesible on this list, the Swedish Screamo band crafted one of the densest listens this year thus far. The vocals aren't overly harsh, as they are washed clean with reverb, and there are moments when they wane and strengthen in emotional fatigue and vigor. What's so great about this album is that every song is flooded with excellent guitar harmonies and arrangements. At about 3:09 on "In Confidence", there is a major movement from the melancholia to an almost ecstatic feeling. The song feels extremely special, warranting multiple listens. The album shouldn't come as a surprise success to fans that have followed the band, as they have always released really solid material. I'm just kind of upset my copy of this record is the white first pressing, not the second pressings of black and clear splattered...

∆ (Alt J) - An Awesome Wave

If you were wondering how I typed a ∆, read the band's name again. Hip geometrical shapes aside, Alt-J created a sharp, technical album for 2012. The band's debut album, An Awesome Wave is exactly what I would like Maps & Atlases to sound like, if they continued the more poppy approach to mathy music like they seem to be. They even have a "Power" inspired music video for album standout "Tessellate". The vocals sound very familiar to Devendra Banhart, but the textured, swimming instrumentation and arrangements supporting the vocals is what sets the band apart. It's the perfect poppy album to pitch Math Rock to your friends! And isn't that what every fan needs?

blu - UCLA

If you consider yourself a hip-hop head, then you know who blu is. What makes this release such an under the radar one is how it was released, and now its difficulty to locate. The album randomly appeared on the mercurial rapper's Bandcamp page, boasting that it was entirely produced by underground hip-hop stalwart Madlib. Stones Throw then released a statement saying Madlib had nothing to do with the project. Despite the claim, the album does sound like it could have been produced solely by Madlib. And a single, "EZ", was released, then with Madlib's credit. All the controversy does nothing to discredit a great album from one of the underground's most consistant rappers.