Posted on: March 9, 2010 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

The type of screaming that starts off “Far From The Lies” seems to put Greeley Estates into the realm of emocore, while the stop-start nature of the later part of “The End of All We Know’ seems to solidify that comparison further. The one fun piece of this first track is when the band slides back into a driving emo type of style for the chorus; the screaming style shows that that vocalist does not necessarily have the fury like those singers from Converge.

When the band moves away from this done to death emocore style for something closer in sound to acts like Simple Plan (with a little Sum 41 guitars thrown in) for “Too Much CSI”, it seems like Greeley Estates improve immense. I understand that moving into the screaming style of vocals full time must be a tremendous drain on resources; while the type of emo music that comes through as an alternative to this is less vocally strenuous but makes much more sense contextually on the CD. The band jumps from mediocre, middling emo band and reaches for the brass ring when they stumble onto the instant classic “Life is a Garden”. The entire track leads up to the chorus, where the vocals break through layers of flesh and bone and hits hearts like a tracer bullet. Greeley Estates has arrived by this track, and to quote them “there’s no looking back”.

Even the inclusion of the emocre screaming during this track is contextualized well; it makes sense where it is at on the track. The band hits strongly again with “Where Did You Go”, before moving into a much more driving beat for their “Nothing Good Happens After Dark”. This track is interesting due to the fact that the bass on it sounds like something electronic rather than the organic sounds that awaited listeners previously; the groove that the band finds itself in during this track shows that they can shift their style and not seem lost. Greeley Estates has came through in a pinch with this new CD, and it will only be a few months before they first find their way onto Headbanger’s Ball and later onto every other music show; while this is hard-edged, individuals of all musical genres can find something that they can take home from this CD. Give it a go if you are a fan of emocore or straight emo, for sure!

Top Tracks: Nothing Good Happens After Dark, Life Is A Garden

Rating: 6.5/10

[JMcQ]

Greeley Estates – Far From The Lies / 2006 Record Collection / 12 Tracks / http://www.greeleyestates.net / http://www.recordcollectionmusic.com / Reviewed 19 May 2006

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