Band : Life At These Speeds
Album : To Your Health
Release Year : 2006
Genre : Post-Hardcore / Emo
Tracklist :
1 A New Design
2 Retina
3 Not So Long Ago
4 To Your Health
5 Going Out
6 Lights Please
7 Blocking Out The Stars
8 Weathered Days
9 Simple Math
10 Authors's Name
11 Heavy Hand
2 Retina
3 Not So Long Ago
4 To Your Health
5 Going Out
6 Lights Please
7 Blocking Out The Stars
8 Weathered Days
9 Simple Math
10 Authors's Name
11 Heavy Hand
Life At These Speeds were a band from Portland, Oregon. They play some truly inspiring and driving music.
All praise aside, the one thing the last record lacked was a 'song.' While, from start to back, the self-titled debut was packed with energy and amazingly honest sound, it lacked that defining moment. This album has a song, a killer track that stands above the rest.
That song is "Heavy Hand," and while I do listen to this album on repeat, I generally stop for a good fifteen minutes to put this 4:41 masterpiece on a few extra times. It starts off sounding like a calm lake and ends in the undertoe of a tidal wave, crashing at all the right moments. It is a song that, upon the first time listening to it, I knew it would make my year-end mix tape.
That being said, how does the rest of the record fare? Well, it's pretty solid. The recording quality is better and one of my complaints about the self-titled has been solved, as the production makes the instruments and vocals all come crashing through with sonic brilliance. Musically, the band does some interesting experiments, such as the group vocals on "Blocking Out the Stars," which turns out to be half-awkward simply because it sticks out like a sore thumb as the one part of the record that doesn't flow as well as the rest. It is also sort of strange to have two back-to-back instrumental tracks, but honestly they flow so well they're barely noticable. Songs like "Retina" are great examples of how good this band really is when they're just rocking out. The title track, clocking in at over five minutes, is a shortened version of what can be said of the entire album; while there are different tempos and intensities, the album maintains a very constant sound. This sound has an incredible risk of becoming boring, however the band is able to hold the interest of the listener by way of incredibly strong vocals and addictive drumming.
That being said, how does the rest of the record fare? Well, it's pretty solid. The recording quality is better and one of my complaints about the self-titled has been solved, as the production makes the instruments and vocals all come crashing through with sonic brilliance. Musically, the band does some interesting experiments, such as the group vocals on "Blocking Out the Stars," which turns out to be half-awkward simply because it sticks out like a sore thumb as the one part of the record that doesn't flow as well as the rest. It is also sort of strange to have two back-to-back instrumental tracks, but honestly they flow so well they're barely noticable. Songs like "Retina" are great examples of how good this band really is when they're just rocking out. The title track, clocking in at over five minutes, is a shortened version of what can be said of the entire album; while there are different tempos and intensities, the album maintains a very constant sound. This sound has an incredible risk of becoming boring, however the band is able to hold the interest of the listener by way of incredibly strong vocals and addictive drumming.
If you've heard this band before, you're going to like this release. If you haven't, you can pick up this or the recent reissue of their self-titled record and have your ears be very happy with you.
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