The Emo Diaries Chapter 11: Taking Back What's Ours, Various Artists
The first thing that struck me about Deep Elm's latest sampler is how pink it is. It's really, really bright. A little too bright perhaps. At least it stands out from the other CDs in the review pile, anyway. After assembling 10 cds in the series, some of which are all-time classics, the Emo Diaries series was retired and replaced with 'This Is Indie Rock'. It was claimed the dreaded 'e' word had rendered the compilation useless and so a new series was created. It could be argued this was true, but also a cynical marketing ploy to re-invigorate the sampler CD, a dying format which is beginning to get lost in the MP3 download/iPod frenzy.
However, for whatever reason, the Emo Diaries series has returned with a more continental feel. There are a few British bands, for instance, and bands from Holland and Spain. But there's very little to whet your apetite and there's hardly a band I would want to check out further. And when you consider the series' alumni - Jimmy Eat World, Appleseed Cast, Brandtson et al - it's a relatively poor showing. PT readers will be familiar with My Awesome Compilation and the band of brothers perform well with new track 'Eyes on the Prize', but in truth this is a shining light on a very dreary record. Fellow Brits I'm Fashion, You're Victim drift along aimlessly, odd scream aside, while Above Them are a little out of place with their Hot Water Music-esque sound. And in any case, some of their other songs are far better than 'Change Your Views'.
The American contributions fare little better, although The City Beautiful are one of the better bands on this release. It seems strange that Deep Elm re-started the Emo Diaries series when, perhaps, it would have been more fondly remembered if it had been left alone. Worth checking out if you're a fan of the label, but there are better ways to discover new bands than listening to this compilation.
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