Please Don’t Die begins with The Price Put on You, an introduction that provides a microcosm of the styles and approaches that Skeletons in the Piano will utilize on this album. Longpig is a track that has the instrumentation and the vocals struggle for dominance. It is the dynamic between these two elements that push the track into a completely different effort. The shambling, jangling approach taken by Skeletons in the Piano during Longpig provide listeners the momentum that they need to complete Please Don’t Die.
Loose Kites in Harbor is and impressive blend of industrial, pirate metal, rockabilly, and goth music; a very slick set of vocals provide a similar splashiness. Skeletons in the Piano can take on hints of Flogging Molly, the Nekromantix, and still have enough ability and technical skill to imbue their own essence into the track. Digging Underneath the House slows things down, allowing listeners ample opportunity to see a different side of the band. While the song does continue to gain a dark and brooding sound, there seems to be a lighter and more hopeful element that is playing at the periphery.
Please Don’t Die ends with Oh, Rose, an effort that allows listeners to get a sense of the full breadth of Skeletons in the Piano. I feel that the band possesses the pep and the skill to continue innovating and impressing listeners with subsequent efforts. Purchase Please Don’t Die from the band and see what you have been missing.
Top Tracks: The Price Put on You, Digging Underneath the House
Rating: 8.3/10
Skeletons in the Piano Please Don’t Die CD Review / 2013 Magnetic Eye Records / 8 Tracks / http://www.skeletonsinthepiano.com/