Brandtson
Death and Taxes
Deep Elm
Somebody’s been listening to a lot of Jimmy Eat World and the Get Up Kids, and that somebody is Brandtson. On the Death and Taxes ep, Brandtson offer up 6 tracks of sing-along, emo-tastic pop quite clearly influenced by their aforementioned predecessors. Although Brandtson’s influences are apparent, they have developed their own style, laced with melodic guitars, deep rhythms and dual vocals. With their lyrics, Brandtson attempt to look to at their lives from an objective point of view, marking a break from the angst-ridden emo that is becoming increasingly popular.
The most notable songs on Death and Taxes are the opener, “You Do the Science” and the closer “In a Word.” “You Do the Science” is packed with catchy riffs and hooks matched with dark yet melodious vocals. The lyrics are honest, showing a slight taste for vengeance: “I smile down and laugh as you hit the ground / Half way down you always take the long way down / Half way down, every time I see you / You take the log way down.”
“In a Word” is a lullaby-like ballad blending vocal harmonies, guitar and piano. It is essentially a love song, with vocalist Myk Porter asking, “I wonder if you’ll stay / I wonder every day,” and then proclaiming, “You’re wonderful / You’re wonderful / And I’m nothing at all.” “In a Word” is a song that will keep your repeat button working hard.
With Death and Taxes, Brandtson show a lot of talent and a lot of promise for better things to come. With a few more albums under their belt, there is no doubt that Brandtson will be one of the front-runner’s in today’s post-hardcore music scene.
Deep Elm Records: http://www.deepelm.com/
