Death and Taxes,
BrandtsonHaving heard so many good things about Brandtson I finally decided to take the plunge and thanks to those kind folks at Deep Elm, 'Death and Taxes' landed on my doormat. Coming from Cleveland I was always told this four-piece were among the leading emo lights and was really excited to finally get a piece of the action. But this new EP surprised me slightly by the fact that is very accessible - the melodies are easy on the ear and way more instant than I thought they would be. This is a good thing.
One thing 'Death and Taxes' is not short of is emotion, as you'd probably expect. It's a record that certainly wears its heart on its sleeve and on the whole is very clever lyrically. Almost poetic in places, the description is extremely vivid. However there are one or two moments where the words will make you cringe a bit - "we wrote this song, it's four chords long, we hope you'll sing along" in 'Aint No Trip To Cleveland' is not the cleverst you will ever come across. Still, on the whole they are very well written.
But ignoring those faux pas and you have a record which is certainly easy on the ear and will have you hooked from almost the first play. Opener 'You Do The Science' is a driving number that has melody and introspection in equal measure, with drums colliding nicely against a catchy guitar riff. The melodic 'On Three' is a great upbeat song, almost boarding on poppy without venturing anywhere near MTV. It's almost anthemic with a huge singalong hook in the chorus. The goodness carries on with 'Circa 1991', which does sound familiar yet I just can't place exactly where I've heard that riff before, if I have at all.
Myk Porter and Jared Jolley share vocal duties to great effect, pouring out their souls with some pop-laden hooks and natty verses. The beautiful 'In The Pills' is already a favourite of mine, a piano gently plays in the background over what seems to be a sampled drum beat. The "I've been such a fool" refrain is gut-wrenching and for once the emotion isn't contrived at all. Easily the standout track and possibly worth the EP price alone. 'Aint No Trip To Cleveland' does have that daft lyric mentioned previously but it is also the song which leaves the most instant imprint on the senses. But despite being extremely catchy, I get the feeling that this isn't the real Brandtson. It just seems a little contrived, a little too melodic for it's own good and although it is still very, very enjoyable, the shine is taken away a little. Closer 'In Our World' sums things up just perfectly, stripping everything down with a hushed guitar line that reminds me of The Get Up Kids at their most fragile.
Bearing in mind this is my first Brandtson experience I will certainly be making inroads into their back catalogue. Despite some moments that are a little trite, 'Death and Taxes' is a strong EP that will certainly win them new friends. But with some fans of the band claiming the new record is a little disappointing, I guess it's horses for courses. I like it though and would recommend you check it out too.
www.brandtson.com
Paul
