Since By Man
We Sing the Body Electric
Revelation
We Sing the Body Electric is the album that At The Drive-In strived to come up with, but didn’t. At The Drive-In was a fantastic band, but there always seemed to be something false about them, and in hindsight, what they lacked was integrity; I never felt like I could believe their songs, as it seemed as if they were just going through the motions. Ladies and gentlemen, Since By Man’s debut album is the record fans of spastic and chaotic postpunk have been longing for.
From the opening lines of “Push The Panic,” the guitars are furious and on fire, throwing crazy and bizarre – yet strangely catchy – tunes straight through your heart; fans of the more chaotic side of music will fall in love after “Push The Panic,” and the love will stay strong throughout the entire record, as the album is ridiculously spastic, save for the laid back and dreamy “In Threes.”
For the most part, the songs produce an immediate feeling of optimism, more than anything else. Anyone who follows hardcore knows that things in the metalcore/ hardcore world are somewhat stale, as of late; We Sing the Body Electric gives the same type of feeling of excitement that I had when I heard Angelhair for the first time. It’s just invigorating
“A Kid Who Tells on Another Kid is a Dead Kid” is one to which to raise a fist high in the air would be most appropriate; it’s reminiscent of the most triumphant songs on Unwound’s Repetition. The verse features a creepy little guitar line that produces images of little bugs scurrying along the ground. The chorus has a brief chant of “Help”s that would make a wonderful part to scream along with, while driving down the highway.
“It’s Just That Kind of Night” combines current metalcore stylings with early ’90s spazzcore delivery; it reminds me of Swing Kids (California), especially the way the singer’s voice sounds (as a side note, fans of Swing Kids will crap at how much “What’s Your Damage” sounds like them).
On “The Enemy,” Since By Man show their love for the element of surprise, shifting time signatures, from slow and sludgy to fast and frantic, on several occasions. During the fast part, there’s this really cool guitar part that’s kind of muted, and sounds like a metal riff played an octave too high. The song ends with a very plodding and powerful stomping part, in which the singer totally freaks out.
This album is fantastic, plain and simple. If you want to rock out, and I mean R-O-C-K out, this one’s for you. Fans of the long-lost ATDI will swoon, and novice punk rock fans will cower in fear.
Revelation Records: http://www.revelationrecords.com
