Disco Ensemble - The Island of Disco Ensemble
Rating
RIYL
Rise AgainstBad Religion
Metric
Release Date
05/26/2010
Label
Universal RepublicTracklist
01. Bay Of Biscay02. Pitch Black Cloud
03. White Flag For Peace
04. Protector
05. So Cold
06. Get Some Sleep
07. Life Of Crime
08. Semi Eternal Flame/Undo
09. Lefty
10. Samantha0
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Disco Ensemble are a band that manages to push the envelope of their sound with each release while still managing to keep true to the core sound that their fans expect. With the release of The Island of Disco Ensemble, I fear the latter portion of that statement prevailed a bit too much. The band still deliver some punch, catchy hooks, and a frequent strive for epic-ness, but this album is the first release since I've followed the band where I didn't really feel any sort of growth.
To their credit, Disco Ensemble probably won't let anyone down with their latest release, as it still features these Finnish musicians rocking it out. For those who've never had the pleasure of hearing anything from these fellows, they're a “must hear” for fans of post-hardcore with melodic tendencies. They mix in just enough pop, a dab of synth, along with some admirable, often original guitar work to round out their outfit. They're a band that I rarely find myself saying “this reminds me of _____” when I give them a spin, truly owning a sound that's their own.
For all the praise I can offer the band as a unit, I'd like to have gotten more out of Island than I did. From a band that typically brings an A-game of music assault, this album feels like Disco Ensemble-Lite at times. Moments that probably should've been jaw dropping came out simply “good”. Nothing better exemplifies this than letting the disc run out on your media player, only to have another one of their albums start up – the contrast is instantly evident. That's not to say they don't still have some impressive vocal work or know how to work a groove, it just feels like a less impassioned or more forgettable version of what they've previously delivered.
Trying to keep comparisons to their body of work out of the mix, “White Flag for Peace”, “Pitch Black Cloud”, “So Cold”, and “Lefty” are all great songs that are noteworthy additions to their catalog. “White Flag...”is a full on bombardment, made all the more powerful following a rather stripped down intro, which makes it one of the heaviest hitters this time around; it also features a sick bass line that would do any punk rocker proud. The guitars on “Pitch Black Cloud” are what I've come to expect from these guys – it's fast, melodic, and it's not just using a bunch of power chords to do it! “So Cold,” while not lyrically my favorite, features the marriage of their aggressive sound with synth to create a fist pumper that still incites dancing in one's seat; its also one of the few times you noticeably hear them using the synth this time out, which is slightly disappointing when one considers how effectively and frequently they've used it on previous albums. “Lefty” is a rather basic track with an undeniable hook of “whoa”s that earned it the honor of being the most memorable track after the first couple of listens (and most likely you'll catch yourself singing it later).
The remainder of the disc is good, but that's just it – it's good. It's not great and it won't be revolutionizing the scene, but it's adequate enough for a few listens. If you're already a fan, then you'll most likely get it if you haven't and you'll surely enjoy it, but it won't stay in your player as long as previous albums. If you're new to the band, I highly recommend you skip this release for now - go get the reissue of First Aid Kit and see what these guys are really about. If you end up liking that, you'll eventually make it back to this album and you'll enjoy it, but you'll agree – it's not the best thing they've ever done.
--Jeremy Deal
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