Holding On By The Blindfolds We Hide Behind,
AmbryI know people don't like me comparing band's to other groups, but Ambry really do sound like the bastard child of Taking back Sunday and Hidden In Plain View. It's pretty uncanny at times - the vocals especially sound like those from the Drive Thru band, while the guitars chug along like Long Island's finest. You'd probably think (bearing in mind some recent scathing reviews for band's being unoriginal) that I'm going to slag Ambry off too. But you'd be wrong. While the New Hampshire mob are a little cliched and borrowed, what they do is highly impressive at times and certainly better than most of those who try their hand at the genre.
Ambry specifically make their mark when it comes to creating hard-hitting, catchy choruses within their songs. The theory is simple - keep the verse/chorus/verse structure, throw in some screams and plenty of melodic singing. Sounds familiar, huh? Well it is - there's no doubt this sound has become generic - but with songs as good as 'Memory or Tragedy' it's impossible not to take a shine to Ambry. 'The Boy Who Had Two Shadows' sounds a little Senses Fail-esque, so the band certainly have elements of a popular sound, and while at times the tracks may drag the wrong side of four minutes, their often perfectly executed.
Of course there are some faux-pas - the token acoustic song is whiney and, well, dreadful, while 'Better Scene Than Heard' is the song with the token cliched name. But for all the obvious generic parts, there are nuggets of gold here. Post-hardcore, emo, screamo...whatever you want to call it it's a turgid, dull genre of music that's becoming the nu-metal of the 21st century. While Ambry are far from re-inventing the wheel, there's a 'Tell All Your Friends'-style charm here that will sucker you in and keep you interested longer than most. Ones to watch for sure, 'Holding On By The Blindfolds We Hide Behind' is a frills-free CD that is well worth your pennies.
www.thedeathscene.com
Paul
