Taking Pictures - Friends Are Ghosts
(My Pal God)
I am sad to say this, but I don't like this for a couple of reasons. First, it's like a bad hybrid of really good instrumental math-rock (like Don Cab and early Oxes) and the worst possible screamo/Fugazi ripoff possible. The vocals are lifeless, and tiredly "emotive" while the instrumentation is competent but seemingly uncaring. I got past the first track, and I thought, "well, this is alright," but then the second song started and sounded almost identical.
Second, Taking Pictures has this whole layout thing that really bugs me. Typewriter font-sets, "artistic" photography, and no spaces between words (because it's a typewriter! and it's really old and archaic!). This makes me think of music I was into when I was younger, which makes me think of how much I hate that music now, even though Taking Pictures doesn't really sound like anything I used to listen to. It's all association, you know?
Third, My Pal God releases better stuff than this all the time. Del Ray was shining. They had Drums and Tuba for a long time. I don't know. It seems like the label should know better than to sign something this middle-of-the-road.
So, all I can offer is the damning praise that if you like instrumental math-rock and Fugazi and think that a combination of the two would really be your bag, get this, but don't think that it'll be anything revolutionary or particularly enjoyable. There's nothing more to really say.
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