| CD REVIEW This Familiar Smile |
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Band : This Familiar Smile Gee, long time ago since we got any promo stuff from Lockjaw (like at least from somewhere last year), which is a pity, because generally speaking I am rather into their releases. Anyway, due to lack of time when checking out info on this band (too many others to find info for at the same time, just prior to my holidays, see?), I now have no exact idea of when this now Glasgow based [they come from the former small mining town of Cumnock (apparently now the home of underage pregnancy), situated some 65 miles from what they call their home today] Scotish Emo foursome came about. With no job opportunities in sight, the band (consisting of singer/ guitarist David Sampson, guitarist Neil Mills, bassist/ backing singer Richie Mitchell, and drummer Darren Smith) was inspired to write of their troubles, social awkwardness, failed romances, their own and friends’ stories, the how we are shaped by the places we live in, and likewize issues. A first EP titled What Kind Of Monster Am I was self-released in 2007, then picked up by Lockjaw for release in 2008 (never got to us in those days though). Although one would think this increased interest for the band would be positive on the whole, the foursome apparently went through some really hard times, and in fact almost threw in the towel. Still, “almost” means the guys clung unto their wits and persevered. Last year the band recorded 10 new tracks (actually 11, but they used one as a hidden track), and made it available to fans starting November ’09. Following that release, the guys toured in Europe with Tribute To Nothing, then did a small UK tour on their own before doing another with Klay and Resonate. They also played local gigs supporting the likes of Minus The Bear, The Fall Of Troy, Cursive, and many more, and had a spot on the bill of the T In The Park festival. Meanwhile, the guys got picked up by Lockjaw for the distribution of their album, and that’s how we eventually got ahold of a promo copy! Stylistically (cited from the bio we got with the promo), “…TFS’s influences come from a lot of Old School “Emo”, such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Mineral, Braid, more progressive bands like Shudder To Think, the Old School Prog of Rush, At The Drive-In, and Cursive…” and I have to say I certainly recognize some of those things in here! There’s an certain angularity in the compositions which makes for enough complexities to keep the more experienced (and the more demanding) listeners among us happy, but at the same time the guys certainly pay attention to the overall melodic side of things. A lot of the time, there’s only a minimum of distortion on the guitars, making for a plenitude of “semi-acoustic” passages. But the boys certainly aren’t afraid to push in that specific pedal to give the songs the necessary “aggression” when needed (it’s never aggression for aggression’s sake though, and more in service of the song/ lyrics at hand). Samson’s high-pitched vocals may not have that typical “thin” weirdness of Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think), but overall that’s what TFS sounds like the most to me…and you better believe that is meant as a compliment by yours truly in one of his more demanding moments. In my personal opinion, anyone lucky enough to have known STT, should go out and buy himself the album! Of course, in thise so-called “economically difficult” times (a situation created by bank executives with the sole purpose of raking in even more money – as proven by the big bonusses bank C.E.O.’s gave themselves in spite of the whole proclaimed “crisis”), you’re free to go check out the music first. Younger music fans, you too, surf on over to myspace.com/thisfamiliarsmile, where the band posted 2 full-length tracks off the album alongside samples of 5 others, and 3 songs off their 2008 EP! Regretfully, the promo copy came to the Concrete Web office at an awkward moment (editor-in-chief pre-occupied with the festival season), and when I personally got it, it was along wiith a huge bunch of other releases’ promos. Hence the belated review. I guess it’s okay though, as none of the bigger magazines in Holland or Belgium have printed their review yet. According to the bio delivered with the promo, the band were planning to back up the release with a Summer assault on the live circuit. If you’re even slightly interested in somewhat wacky Emo, you owe it to yourself to go check the band out if and when they play in your neighborhood! I mean, this is great stuff, and I’m backing up that statement with a rating which only just fails to put the album in my year-lists (but I’m certainly not excluding the possibility that such a thing might happen with the band’s sophomore album…no, quite on the contrary)! 94/100 Tony. |