DEAD RED SEA
Birds (Deep Elm)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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It’s unfortunate to have a band like Dead Red Sea representing Emo as an entire musical format, and turning away legions of listeners who would probably quite enjoy a group like The Appleseed Cast. I simply found Birds to be an underwhelming pile of trite, self conscious excrement. It’s almost as though this band are reading from a great, dog-eared copy of the Emo Band Handbook. How to properly end a song (with the singer’s voice breaking on the final crescendo), how to layer the dynamics (lock-step guitars and bass, a bit like Helmet minus their distortion), and how to have the awkward, jangly guitars lay out most of the song before it even properly begins. I’m so bloody sick of Emo! Deep Elm, please drop some of these bands from your roster who lie about hoarding the global supply of back hair dye, studded belts and Medium Toddler t-shirts, and give all the proceeds to The Appleseed Cast. They obviously deserve them!

Grade: D-

© 2001 - Jason Thornberry