Details:
Avid readers may remember a while ago I talked about a young band from Pontefract by the name of Above Them. Those of you who were taking notes will remember me commenting on how although the album in question was very good, I could hear acres of potential beyond what had been committed to disc that time round.
Fast forward to the present day.
The opening track on the eleventh chapter of The Emo Diaries, the legendary series of compilations released by the equally legendary label Deep Elm is a song by none other than Above Them, and by crikey, is it a blinder. Easily the standout track on a very high quality compilation.
I should give some background at this point, for those of you not in the know. Deep Elm are one of THE legendary underground record labels from the US, right up there with Dischord, No Idea, Jade Tree... You get the idea. The Emo Diaries was a series of compilations back in the day, showcasing up and coming young bands like Samiam, Planes Mistaken for Stars, The Movielife and Jimmy Eat World, to mention a few. The Emo Diaries stopped back in 2004, due to what Deep Elm called “the bastardization of the term ’emo’ in today’s pop culture, as well as the mainstream’s stranglehold and subsequent commercialisation of the genre, which placed the focus firmly on the aesthetic... Not the music, the energy or the passion”.
Now, three years later, Deep Elm are taking back emo. If you’re familiar with the Deep Elm back catalogue, or indeed the emo that was, you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect here. Basically emotionally charged indie rock, with melodic guitars and harmonies. Above Them are definitely the standout for me, but there’s a nice variety of stuff on show here. There are a couple of heavier songs - I’m Fashion, You’re Victim sound kinda like Thrice covering Poison the Well, and the female vocals of While You Were Gone make a nice change from an otherwise male dominated CD.
If you already know Deep Elm then you probably want a copy of this already. If you don’t, but you yearn for something more than Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance then you could do a lot worse than starting here.
Listen: www.myspace.com/deepelm
Tracklist:
1. Above Them - Change Your Views
2. This Drama - Tiger Meets Lion
3. While You Were Gone - Hey Lola
4. Knockout Kings - Question Everything
5. Andy Tanner and his Grand Piano - The Ghostman
6. The Crash Engine - The Sky Retreats
7. The Decoration - Progress, Not Perfection
8. I’m Fashion, You’re Victim - Until Vendetta’s Achieved
9. Young Hearts - Never Give Up, Never Give In
10. The City Beautiful
11. My Awesome Compilation - Eyes on the Prize
12. Panel - It’s Airborne!
