THE USED “S/T”
The more I listen to this release, the more into it I get. THE USED play a highly intricate form of hard-nosed emo-core that’s drenched in two opposites – gutsy screaming and beautifully sung vocals. While this style of music isn’t nearly as rare as it was about two years ago, at least at the broader mainstream level, THE USED bring their own flair for the dramatic on this recording. More often than not, I’m stunned with the passion that’s exhibited on the self-title as well as the snappy, explosive musicianship. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this disc is how the well the band masks their catchy elements amongst the monster guitar riffs and forceful drumming, especially on the second track, “The Taste of Ink,” which is buried in propelling movement. Like their contemporaries in TAKING BACK SUNDAY, a darkness pervades a good chunk of THE USED’s material, most poignantly in “Poetic Tragedy” which recounts a dreary suicide, and “Bullimic” – a pounding end to a relationship on the ropes. The former tune sounds rather grandiose as it finishes with a striking build up. The single from this disc is “A Box Full of Sharp Objects,” and rightfully so, this song just stands out as a cut above the rest, with the screaming lurking as a messenger from one’s innermost demons. The chunky rhythms and spastic vocals elevate this song’s momentum in a way that I rarely feel. Fans of THURSDAY will definitely appreciate this aural assassination. The final third of this twelve song release doesn’t quite capture the heart with the same tight leash that the earlier tracks do, but the lyrical quality is still strong and unyielding. “On My Own” grips me with the close out lines, “And I’m screaming for something / knowing nothing is better than knowing at all,” as I’m reminded of times where I would have preferred to be ignorant in certain situations where I had already learned too much for my own good. THE USED have certainly come out of this with some unique and gifted – a sound that delivers both pleasure and pain at the same time, which leaves me wondering how tough this stuff must be to pull off live. In any rate, this “S/T” release is total attack on the aural senses and I’m appreciating the chance to be knocked silly by it – THE USED are definitely a band to keep track of in the latter half of this year.
Reprise/Warner
