Deep Elm - The New Crazy, Various Artists
Usually, you can't go wrong with a Deep Elm release, but for me there's something missing here. True, there are some absolutely amazing bands on this disc (see Latterman, Settlefish, Burns Out Bright and Brandtson among others), but in places the strength of some of the songs lets the side down. And then there's the "controversial" choice of Fightstar...
If you're new to the label, then this is the ideal starting point. Deep Elm have moved away from the strict 'emo' diet they served up three years ago and have even penned this indie-rock moniker for their bands as if the 'e' word has become dirty and seedy. Although many of their bands still fall into this classification, there's a distinct variation in many of their sounds. Sounds Like Violence are more choppy, while Slowride and Desert City Soundtrack are beautiful bands, if a little miserable. The Appleseed Cast and Brandtson are two of the elder statesmen here - siting nicely alongside newer bands like Latterman and the aforementioned Charlie Simpson fronted UK band Fightstar. There's even a new Benton Falls song!
However, all too often the tracks blend into one another or don't tickle my fancy enough to make an impact. It's not that they're not good, just some of these songs don't meet Deep Elm's own very high standards. This is a label that is renowned for setting the bar extremely high, and I don't think 'The New Crazy' reaches the level the label has previously hit. Still, this is a worthwhile sampler to pick up and is varied enough to keep you going throughout the rest of the summer.
www.deepelm.com
Paul
