BREAKING DOWN THE LATEST ROCK AND ALTERNATIVE NEWS...
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"For too long it felt like post-hardcore was all played out."
As genre greats such as Glassjaw and Thrice have moved into a more nostalgia-tinged later period of their careers, there simply didn’t seem to be anything left to say within the genre. Then Static Dress showed up and everything changed. A virtually unstoppable force hellbent of smashing genre boundaries and everything we thought we knew about post-hardcore. Fronted by visionary bandleader Olli Appleyard, they manage to take listeners back to the genre’s stripped-back DIY roots whilst providing a new burning energy with which the genre has been lacking for so long.
"Rouge Carpet Disaster delivers on every level of the hype that has surrounded the band and then some.."
Opening with a ferocious deafening roar before swirling into dreamy melodic soundscapes, the first track fleahouse calls back to the previous mentioned genre heroes of yesteryear, but also is drenched in the swagger, bravado and excitement of where this could lead. Following next is the misleadingly-titled sweet which is a 215-second rollercoaster that smashes into you like a car-crash. A highlight of the album is Push rope with its lung-busting choruses screaming (‘I know I’m not wanted here / Dead response and cold replies…’) that then at the song climax fades out on the sound of frontman Olli literally struggling to catch his breath.
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"This record has the energy of a riot, backed up by the songwriting capabilities of a band much wiser beyond its years."
REVIEW:
Of course, the music has been the main focus of the band but with the fact they include such strong visuals, the real highlight of the band is that these tracks stand strong on their own. With characteristically tight and nightmare inducing production by the mastermind behind Loathe's recordings Erik Bickerstaffe, everything feels at home with each other as well as easily accessible individually outside of the album showcasing a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts bigger picture.
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Crucially, everything is created within this album by clear by authentic emotion, too. It means that the small switch towards a positive ending feels all the more earned via the navigation of all the previous pain and emotion, with the jaunty Unexplainabletilesleavingyouwonderingwhy (Welcome In) again evoking MCR’s Black Parade period themes and massive hooks.
With a perfect blend of pure emotive release alongside the keen eye for detail and theme design and image that the band have created.
It is clear to see why there is so much hype surrounding Static Dress as a band who could take over the world in years to come, if their debut LP is anything to go by.
The Breakdown Verdict: 5/5
For fans of: Glassjaw, My Chemical Romance, letlive.
Rouge Carpet Disaster is out now.