Eat the TV EP,
Mr BeldingProduction has always been a sore thumb on the hand of many punk fans. Do we like our records polished, refined and glistening? Or rough, jagged and scratchy? Both have their pro's and con's, but I think we all agree a happy medium between the two is what's needed, unfortunately, not only do Mr Belding manage not to hit the refined production stage, they totally run below the standard for even a poor finish. Frankly, this record sounds awfull, each of the three tracks on show are distorted and poorly sewn together, but there is a shining light, the songs aren't actually that bad.
The Devon four piece fuse sharp pieces of lyricism and melodic punk sounds to great effect, but as I have already explained, the experience is hindered through a poor quality finish. Maybe I am being harsh, after all, this is only an EP by an unsigned band, but the bar is raising each time a band churn out something like this and Mr Belding really fell someway short.
Chugging guitars open 'Sour Trip' and the track builds slowly with vocals from frontman Chris changing direction and pitch without warning. It plods along at a fairly interesting pace with the highlight being a nifty guitar intro thrown in towards the end. 'Schizophrenic (Readmitted)' however storms out the blocks at a frenetic pace before slowing down, and then ummm speeding up again. The changes are produced well, with some lovely music being played during the more somber interludes, and is the song of the three I would recommend to a Mr Belding virgin. We wrap up with 'Waiting for Dusk' another mid paced entry and some clever vocal exchanges between Chris and drummer James, but unfortunately is over before it ever really begins.
And so I got through the review without mentioning Saved by the Bell once (d'oh!), and there isn't a lot left to say other than what I covered in my opening gambit. Mr Belding are a talented bunch of youngsters, and certainly have the potential to grow in stature through the coming years if they can iron out the difficulties shown on this record. Despite this, they are worth checking out, so click the website below and enjoy. Zoiks!
www.mrbelding.net
Jay
