Emotionalpunk.com
Media Review
Music Quality: 8.0
Production: 9.5
Originality: 8.5
Tracklisting
2. Devotion And Desire
3. Toutures Of The Damned
4. They Looked Like Strong Hands
5. Montauk
6. Blame It On Bad Luck
7. We'll Be O.K.
8. Don't Call Me Peanut
9. Existing In A Crisis (Eveyln)
10. Half A Life
11. Dear Tragedy
With their release of 2004's “Sirens and Condolences,” Bayside began to establish themselves as a real player in the indie punk scene. After a tumultuous couple years of touring and inter-band turmoil, Anthony Raneri and Jack O'Shea came back with a new rhythm section and released a solid sophomore effort. Though they are a very underrated band, the new release helped breathe new life into a fledgling scene.
The disc kicks off with “Hello Shitty,” a 1:14 long puck song that is reminiscent of some of the old Bayside work. Before you know it, the jumbled ending of “Hello Shitty” fades out and the single, “Devotion and Desire,” kicks the CD into high gear with a catchy fast riff in the opening seconds. Raneri’s voice comes through clearly and the guitar work is clear and crisp. This impressive sound can be attributed to the producing team of Kenny and Shep who are primarily known for their work in pop music (Hall and Oates and Mandy Moore) and added an extra dimension to the production.
On the whole, the album is exactly what you would want from a band like Bayside. Dark brooding lyrics painted on a tapestry of awkward yet still unique melodies that is akin to Alkaline Trio and the Smiths. “Montauk” and “Blame in on Bad Luck” tend to follow the formula Bayside is known for. But this release shows a little more varied song styles than “Sirens”, including the acoustic ballad “Don’t Call me Peanut.” A bare boned song mainly picked and strummed on an acoustic guitar with some keys, Raneri tells a tale of love gone horribly awry. This is by far the most unique and surprising track on the CD.
The CD closes with a highly energetic and equally caustic “Dear Tragedy.”
“I’d grab your head by your hair and I’d hack it off/Put it on display in the front of the yard/On a stake that’s decorated with a little pink bow/And a sign that says ‘Her friends and family should have taught her more about love’” Raneri sneers at the beginning of the track and the song ends with a big insrumental finish and gang vocals that sound very impressive.
In past efforts, Bayside's former bassist was the primary songwriter, but with his departure, Raneri was forced to take over the song writing duties. There are points when his lyrics are somewhat hokey and relatively predictable. Yet he still keeps the same feel that Bayside has been known for. Though the lyrics aren’t quite up to par, Raneri seems to be taking his new duties in stride and is definitely heading in the right direction.
I was floored by this CD. I loved the songs and the production was crystal clear. For a band that lost two members, one of which was their main songwriter, this is an amazing release. Bayside further solidifies itself as one of the most solid bands in the scene today.