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Bayside/Name Taken - Split

Rating

RIYL

-

Label

Dying Wish

Tracklist

1. Bayside - Loveless Wrists
2. Bayside - Cold and Blue and Lifeless
3. Bayside - Just Enough To Love You
4. Bayside - Answers We'll Never Get
5. Name Taken - Write Back
6. Name Taken - You Do It So Well
7. Name Taken - Magnolia
8. Name Taken - I Quit Your Scene

This split CD was much anticipated by me for ages, from the time I heard it was coming, to the moment it hit my CD player. A split CD from two great new up & coming bands (one labeless, one on Victory), what could be better? Well, after hearing this, a lot. Now, it's not a bad CD, persay, in fact, it's easy to like and to listen to. It just lacks something.

Bayside lights up the first 4 tracks with their particular brand of rip-off music. I'm not sure who exactly they remind me of, but the connection is definitely there, I just can't figure it out. Maybe it's because the band is from Long Island, an area becoming one of the best new artist scenes, with bands like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Glassjaw, and so on coming from LI. Their songs are all solid songs, with a lot of effort put into them, but there's just no hook, nothing to make me keep listening. Their stand out track would be Loveless Wrists, the song that starts off the CD. From the first minute or two, you think that the split is quality, but then you hear the horrible singing on the second track, and it just breaks the dream. The guitar is melodic while at the same time, annoying with its brightness. The production blows on the third track, at least in my opinion...although I have been told they probably did that on purpose, it still bugs me. The vocals on it sound like the singer was trying to be Tim Kasher (of Cursive), and failing miserably.

Thankfully, the CD improves with Name Taken's side of the split. You Do It So Well is just a great song, with a singer that you can actually listen to, and instrumentally sound. Although it IS simple, there's nothing wrong with simple, I usually like it more than technical playing. Anyway, the climax of the CD comes on the last track, "I Quit My Scene". A fitting song for the end of the split, leading up slowly, building to a very Midtown-ish song, that kicks into gear at about 1:45. It reminds me of "No Place Like Home" off Midtown's Save The World, Lose The Girl, but that's a good thing. Name Taken are an unbelievable new band, still shopping for a label.

Overall, the split is very worthwhile if you're tracking the success of either band. They're both going places: in Name Taken's place, probably to a major label, and with Bayside, they've already signed to Victory (not that it means much to get onto Victory anymore...).
Even if you could give a shit about either band, it's a worthwhile buy to listen to the great music Name Taken bring to the mix. They've grown from their first independant CD, and hopefully their new CD gets released soon. As for Bayside, I really couldn't care that much, except I hope they get a little better before I have to be force-fed their music in the near future (eg Taking Back Sunday...huge improvment from the demos to Tell All Your Friends). The production is good enough, the music is good enough, the cd is...good enough.

-Adam(ug)