A STATIC LULLABY “…And Don’t Forget to Breathe”
I haven’t been able to stop listening to this band since “…And Don’t Forget To Breathe” arrived last week. With every successive listen, I’m conintually floored with how tight a release this is. And what’s even more poignant is that this is not a release without flaws – such as the band trying to do too much in a few songs, ultimately mitigating the explosive tension within. I shudder to think what A STATIC LULLABY have in them if their songwriting skills improve in the vision that I see happening. From a basic level, I hear a few distinct influences in this band, namely the similarity in the vocals to Daryl Palumbo of GLASSJAW. Granted, such vocal inflections are not rare, but I think both vocalists take the same approach to the transition between singing and screaming, and it’s fairly seamless. Musically, this is firmly planted in that quirky hardcore muck affectionately termed emo-core. If FINCH lands itself on the poppier side of the spectrum, A STATIC LULLABY arrive at the opposite end, copping a harder, darker, and more vicious sound. Without a doubt, there are plenty of melodic elements present on here, but none of them truly command the band as opposed to the monstrous guitars and stunning percussion. The only song where the vocals take center stage is on the fourth tune, “Lip Gloss and Let Down,” and that’s just a perfect tune to immerse yourself in. The Steve Evetts production is strong, but not typical to his usual powerhouse sound, but regardless, this band manages to come off as both raw and refined often in the same song, and that’s not something easy to pull off. The fact is, at least in this reviewer’s opinion, when you strip off the genre-tossing, the ‘haunting’ lyrics and cliche song titles, “…And Don’t Forget to Breathe,” is a wholly RAGIN’ album. It’s as if A STATIC LULLABY composed a 40 minute, “get everything off your chest and say it like you fucking mean it” session, and painstakingly went over the results, just to make sure it sounded good in the process. Ferret deserves to be commended for picking up this band, and I highly recommend them – music this complex, unbridled, and fiery demands your attention.
Ferret
