Comrades - Collection: 2010-2011
Rating
RIYL
Russian CirclesDon Caballero
Red Sparowes
Release Date
11/15/2011
Label
Blood & Ink RecordsTracklist
01. Answer Me This02. Weight
03. Giants
04. Where Moth and Rust Destroy
05. Hammerhand
06. Lend Me Your Heart
07. Fearless, She
08. We Are Halves
09. Of Men
10. Encourage, Encourage
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SCENE
A well-lit hospital waiting room. The air smells sterile. Three individuals sit on a long green plastic bench, two men, and a woman. They share a set of headphones between them. A doctor enters through double doors.
DOCTOR: Mr., uh, Comrades?
JOE: [Rises] Yes, that’s me. What’s happened, doctor, um...?
DOCTOR: Roth.
JOE: Dr. Roth, what’s wrong with my band’s album?
DOCTOR: Joe, to be frank, I’ve never seen something like this before.
[LAURA hangs her head. CONNOR disengages.]
JOE: What do you mean?
DOCTOR: Here I thought Empros was an isolated incident. An album so bland and unexciting is remarkable in its own right. But I never dreamed it would spread.
JOE: Just spit it out, Roth! What is it you’re trying to say, exactly?
DOCTOR: Comrades, I’m afraid you have Russian Circles Disease.
[LAURA and CONNOR cling to each other. JOE punches the wall.]
CONNOR: But we tried really hard to be interesting!
DOCTOR: Listen, the prognosis is positive. You’ve got some promising guitar licks, like the intro to “Lend Me Your Heart.” I even like the few vocal passages you pepper in on occasion. You know—
JOE: [Massaging knuckles] So stop beating around the bush, doc! What’s wrong?
DOCTOR: [Considers] Every song is boring.
JOE: Asshole!
DOCTOR: Post-rock, instrumental music, it’s all about dynamics and movement! Your songs don’t go anywhere. Sure, they’re interesting at first, but each of them just sort of dissipates inoffensively. But—
JOE: But what? What now?
DOCTOR: I was just going to reiterate that the prognosis is good. I hear a lot of fragments that I really do like, and I understand that this release is just a collection of the better songs you’ve already released independently. The fact that you’re already in the studio recording a full-length is encouraging.
LAURA: [Rises] Okay, let’s all just calm down for a minute. How can we manage Russian Circles Disease? How do we treat this?
DOCTOR: Make sure each song is unique. That’s paramount, but obvious, no? Make sure the songs aren’t flat. Make sure you build up to something instead of noodling around for a few minutes at a time. Keep injecting the vocal sections. Keep the fingertap guitars. I love “Of Men.” Keep the heaviness. Just make sure it all adds up to something. Do that, and I think you’ll be fine.
LAURA: Thank you.
CONNOR: [Rises] Come one guys, we’ve got a new album to finish.
[They each shake the DOCTOR’S hand. JOE holds on for a moment longer and pulls the DOCTOR close.]
JOE: [Whispers] I’m gonna wait by your car until your shift’s over, Mr. Critic. Let’s hope you’re pulling a double.
[CONNOR and LAURA pull JOE away.]
LAURA: Sorry, we’ll keep him out of your hair. He appreciates it, deep down.
END SCENE
--Zach Roth
Comments
Ada, Ohio
Review of the freaking year!!! I wish my review for Russian Circles were this good. Why don't these post-rock/metal bands get it??
Sunshine Coast, Australia
Inspired, dude.
"If you want something done right, get a fucking Australian band to do it" - Chris Cheney
Fishers, Indiana
Comrades (and fans) found my review! Shockingly, fans of the band didn't like my negativity! Though, many of them were understanding about it, because in the end it really is just about musical taste, y'know?
Top Albums: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Minnesota
Stephen does have a point... you do tend to get all boneriffic over screamo/indie/post-hardcore bands...
:-)
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Fishers, Indiana
I wrote back that he discovered my one weakness, actually.
Top Albums: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter