Album: The Chemistry Of Common Life
Artist: Fucked Up
Released: 2008
Rating: 3/5
Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?
Punk band Fucked Up want to let you know that they're unconventional. On past releases this has meant 18-minute songs, or drum solos, or string sections. On the much buzzerd about "The Chemistry Of Common Life", they decided to do so by mixing melodic hardcore and shoegaze, with so-so results. Picture Husker Du and My Bloody Valentine collaborating.
Guitars are layered on thick and noisily, similar to a basic melodic hardcore, but with much cleaner production. The bass follows the guitars and the drums play basic time and fills. However, in their attempt to be unconventional, Fucked Up have decided to take a page from MBV's book and play one to two notes for four and a half to five minutes. While this may work in a shoegaze song, it becomes tiring and annoying very fast during hardcore songs. They also add things like piccolo and strings in case you weren't clear onthe fact that they're different.
Still, despite the annoyance of a lot of it and the hollowness of the production, "The Chemistry..." does have it's moments. Lead singer Pink Eyes has a Cookie Monster growl which actually goes well with some of the songs (although when they add clean vox right after it comes dangerously close to sounding like commercial screamo on "Twice Born") and some of the shorter songs are actually good melodic hardcore. The stronger songs on the album show that when FU don't get too caught up in their ambition, they can actually make some decent tunes.
A so-so album of melodic hardcore that tries too hard to be different.
Highlights: "Magic Word", "No Epiphany", "Black Albino Bones"
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