Blueline Medic / Midtown / Recover / Silent Corporation
New. Old. Rare.
Fueled By Ramen
This four-way split from emo maestros Fueled By Ramen, with Blueline Medic, Midtown, Recover and Silent Corporation performing three songs each, is a timely reminder of the continued viability of this oft-ridiculed genre, as well as a demonstration of why emo has been lambasted so fiercely.
A lot of this stuff suffers maniacally from sounding too alike. Emo is one of hardcore’s most exciting expressions, but the genre has earned itself the fate of overexposure. Too many bands took to its sound by instinctual reaction, without having anything of substance to add to a style of music that was already in a tight deadlock.
A band like Midtown suffers from this, to which their contributions on here so tellingly attest. They are hard to separate from the huge mass of bands doing the exact same thing, although in this particular example, they get by on pure energy and a charismatic presence that carries across on tape. Australia’s Blueline Medic open with a fine version of Tori Amos’s harrowing “Precious Things,” and no one can blame them for being unable to live up to that first impression.
Fellow Aussies Silent Recovery are a far more energetic and efficient prospect altogether, and while their three tracks don’t add anything particularly new to emo’s palette, their direct attack makes this a pleasant new acquaintance. Recover is the odd one out, and the most immediately appealing, although perhaps by default. Their sound is much punkier, with their three songs offering up brief and furious emo attacks. They may leave little to be desired in the songwriting department, but their strong sense of individuality could see them go far.
Fueled By Ramen Records: http://www.fueledbyramen.com
