Another day, another emo band. When will the conveyor belt of soundalike bands come to a halt? It seems like hundreds of records that have come through the letterbox recently have all sounded the same, so much so that I’m struggling to distinguish between half of them. Letter Kills are the next from the factory, freshly signed to Island with a polished sound that sounds like a cross between Hoobastank and Thrice. Let’s get this straight from the start – this record sounds amazing, but it’s too polished, too clean, too clichéd and I heard it all yesterday. And the day before that, and the day before that, and the day bef….
To be fair to these guys, poor name aside, there’s very little wrong with what they actually do. Letter Kills play a ballsy rock-based music which throws in some cool guitar riffs with a really solid vocal. The songs are solid and come complete with catchy melodies and plenty of harmonies. Opener ‘Lights Out’ has a huge guitar riff and will probably find its way onto US MTV and into the record collections of a million impressionable teenagers quicker than you can say ‘the next big thing’. But for all the good moments (and there are plenty, see ‘Don’t Believe’, ‘Brand New Man’ and ‘Carry You’ for further proof) there’s just this horrible fake sneer to proceedings. It’s probably not the fault of the band, more the glossy production, but whereas bands like Thrice bellow and bite, and sing with conviction, there’s something vital missing here. There’s a lack of passion and impact, leaving everything sounding, well, nice.
I have absolutely no doubt that Letter Kills will go on to sell a lot of records because they do what they do very, very well. But to me ‘The Bridge’ is just a watered down version of so many other bands. It’s mass-marketed slick rock and roll for consumption by the MTV generation. This record is good for what it is, but it will satisfy only kids interested in the latest fad. For God’s sake, why can’t bands make a name for themselves and be different rather than going for the latest trends all the time? Give this record six months before something else replaces it – that’s the lasting impression ‘The Bridge’ gives me. It’s sad because not everyone wants fast-food music. He who dares, wins…
www.letterkills.com
Island Records
Paul