I love it when I happen to ‘discover’ a new band that is absolutely brilliant, when you are least expecting it. After the fantastic peeps at Lobster Records sent us some cds to review, I happened to stumble across Park, who were described as a fantastic little emo band. So, in the stereo it went, and to be honest, it’s hardly come out since.
‘No Signal’ is just an absolutely fantastic must-have emo record. Reminiscent of the likes of early Saves The Day, it is an absolute gem of a record. Its ten tracks are little masterpieces in their own right, with the opening ‘The Ghost You Are’ a perfect example. With open and honest lyrics and vocals that tug at the heart-strings, Park produce the kind of quality that we expect from the likes of the Get Up Kids. Singer Ladd Mitchell certainly has some of the best emo vocals you’ll hear this side of Matthew Pryor, and that is a huge compliment.
But what this Springfield foursome do particularly well, is mix emotion with melody to create some belting tunes. ‘Trivet’ chugs along with a huge hook and ‘S is for Susan’ will break your heart as Ladd tells us all about his woe. “Goodbye Susan,” he croons, and for four whole minutes you get sucked in to another tale of teenage heartbreak.
‘At Breakneck Speed’ is faster than the other tracks, but isn’t going to rock your socks off. But its up-tempo nature is different to the previous offerings. Again the vocals standout, but it’s the guitar fills in the background that add an extra dimension and quality to the track. ‘Swell’ has vocal harmonies at times which boost the sound and again the guitars are of the kick-ass variety. Thoughtful, moody and reflective, it’s certainly more intellectual than your average Blink 182 record.
Starting off with a slow drum and guitar riff, ‘Know Your Enemy’ sounds like a track from the new Saves The Day record. It slowly builds up throughout the track until it reaches the crescendo and a beautifully crafted chorus. Album standout ‘Clue Me In’ follows, with its heavy/slow intro and generally beautifully crafted structure.
‘Wreck Simple’ again emphasises Ladd’s vocal qualities, and the general musicianship, which is again of a high standard. ‘Here On And Out’ sees him go to breaking point, with his vocals sounding utterly desperate. It’s absolutely brilliant stuff. Album closer ‘Cover Up’ probably couldn’t reach this point of brilliance, but it has a damn fine crack at it. With a haunting piano intro and a fine arpeggio guitar over-layed, it’s yet another desperate Ladd vocal and carefully crafted musicianship.
Fans of the likes of Midtown and Jimmy Eat World will almost certainly lap this up, and anyone with a penchant for emo should really check out this little lot, because one thing’s for sure, with records like this, they won’t be little for very much longer.