Act I: Why You Shouldn't Write Your Book As A Song
First time I listened to The Deer Hunter I barely gave it a chance, I crossed it off as just another indy band those god damned hipsters make seem like the next big thing. I sure was wrong but that doesn't mean it's a perfect band.
While they may dodge the Opeth mistakes with perfection, there's still a lot to criticize here and it certainly will not become one of my favorite bands, at least not on this album alone and specially not if they write the same way throughout the rest of their discography - which is very likely.
On with the album:
While they may dodge the Opeth mistakes with perfection, there's still a lot to criticize here and it certainly will not become one of my favorite bands, at least not on this album alone and specially not if they write the same way throughout the rest of their discography - which is very likely.
On with the album:
Battesimo del Fuoco
This works just fine as a stage setter. It's lead by voice alone and really feels like an intro. It has an okay melody, not terribly creative but alright; the lyrics, well, they work for an intro but they write this way through the rest of the album, and that annoys me. A lot.
It's WAY too straightforward, even the title is "baptism of fire" and it just talks about the main character's birth. Nothing is treated abstractly, nothing is made into poetry. It's a good old story book, nothing more, nothing less.
It's WAY too straightforward, even the title is "baptism of fire" and it just talks about the main character's birth. Nothing is treated abstractly, nothing is made into poetry. It's a good old story book, nothing more, nothing less.
The Lake South
It's alright, not too much dicking around, but not too much information in it either. A waste of time nonetheless.
City Escape
I really enjoy the instrumental part of this album starting at this song, and the musical part really is great. It's too bad the writing couldn't be any better.
"Plagued by practical and a mercenary lust, they tear at her skin!
(The trouble began, but it never ended)
Clawing at her throat with a smell of desperate and a lack of regret!
(The trouble began, but it never ended)"
They actually did a pretty good job at the chorus using the words' sounds along with the melody itself. "Plagued by practical" and "With a smell of desperate" obviously aren't how you would normally say it, they would be plagued by practicality and desperation, I very much respect such changes and their objectives with them.
Other than that, some mildly creative segments but nothing that really stands out as an amazing composition.
"Plagued by practical and a mercenary lust, they tear at her skin!
(The trouble began, but it never ended)
Clawing at her throat with a smell of desperate and a lack of regret!
(The trouble began, but it never ended)"
They actually did a pretty good job at the chorus using the words' sounds along with the melody itself. "Plagued by practical" and "With a smell of desperate" obviously aren't how you would normally say it, they would be plagued by practicality and desperation, I very much respect such changes and their objectives with them.
Other than that, some mildly creative segments but nothing that really stands out as an amazing composition.
The Inquiry of Ms. Terri
This one starts very bland and boring with the first verse doing the usual boring narration. When the first chorus hits it changes the experience completely with great work on the instrumental side.
"Touch,
Taste,
Feel
It ripping me down.
Reprise, two times, the Dime.
Burn it to the ground."
While this chorus may sound very nice, the song continues with the bland verses until it reaches a very "shitty romantic musical" style outro.
As a comparison, you can look to Frances the Mute's
"She said, "I’ll never let them hurt you
I’ll never let them in
What you took from me is mine
And what is mine I’ll never give""
It's not a complicated writing, but they keep it short and sweet. It's not a moment to go batshit crazy with the screaming, it's a moment to present her feelings, it's a moment to tell the listener how exactly she said those words and Cedric does exactly that.
Now compare it to the stale:
"We dance around the room,
My love, I'll carry you,
And I'll teach you how to treat that Leading lady that you'll meet.
We dance around the truth, my dear
I lie for you, and when I lie down, I'm simply lying to them too"
"Touch,
Taste,
Feel
It ripping me down.
Reprise, two times, the Dime.
Burn it to the ground."
While this chorus may sound very nice, the song continues with the bland verses until it reaches a very "shitty romantic musical" style outro.
As a comparison, you can look to Frances the Mute's
"She said, "I’ll never let them hurt you
I’ll never let them in
What you took from me is mine
And what is mine I’ll never give""
It's not a complicated writing, but they keep it short and sweet. It's not a moment to go batshit crazy with the screaming, it's a moment to present her feelings, it's a moment to tell the listener how exactly she said those words and Cedric does exactly that.
Now compare it to the stale:
"We dance around the room,
My love, I'll carry you,
And I'll teach you how to treat that Leading lady that you'll meet.
We dance around the truth, my dear
I lie for you, and when I lie down, I'm simply lying to them too"
1878
This song is the worst in the entire album. They just want to make sure you know they want you to remember the words: knife, lake and river.
That's it. There's no other reason for this song to exist, specially when they repeat a part of song 6 in song 7.
I hope this is their Crossing The Frame, because I'd be ashamed. It isn't even a good song it's way beyond the level of quality shown in the others despite a couple moments in the instrumental that could just as well have been fit in other tracks instead.
That's it. There's no other reason for this song to exist, specially when they repeat a part of song 6 in song 7.
I hope this is their Crossing The Frame, because I'd be ashamed. It isn't even a good song it's way beyond the level of quality shown in the others despite a couple moments in the instrumental that could just as well have been fit in other tracks instead.
The Pimp & The Priest
This is the only really good song in the album. They raised the lyric quality 100% on this one.
The pimp and the priest pounce on quickened cat's feet
For the freshest young blood, innocence for the feast.
The book will then brew what the sinful commit;
While the pimp and priest pray quietly where the precious sinners sit.
This is so storytelling chiché it becomes a good thing, it's actually setting up this little story that is confined to this one song and is told in just the right way. Not everything is just thrown at you with literal meanings, it actually tries.
Confess, oh, confess,
In the chapel, the brothel, where we suffocate stress.
We've got the time if you've got the scratch
(Conquer your sins while she screams on her back).
Faster, save me!
(While your sins remain hostage)
Harder, I can't breath!
Everyone loves kinky shit in music, Godfather's Lollipop is great because of that. They take it a bit further and actually make a point out of it with this very real situation of the relationship between church and brothel. Very clever writing on this chorus, great work!
The pimp and the priest pounce on quickened cat's feet
For the freshest young blood, innocence for the feast.
The book will then brew what the sinful commit;
While the pimp and priest pray quietly where the precious sinners sit.
This is so storytelling chiché it becomes a good thing, it's actually setting up this little story that is confined to this one song and is told in just the right way. Not everything is just thrown at you with literal meanings, it actually tries.
Confess, oh, confess,
In the chapel, the brothel, where we suffocate stress.
We've got the time if you've got the scratch
(Conquer your sins while she screams on her back).
Faster, save me!
(While your sins remain hostage)
Harder, I can't breath!
Everyone loves kinky shit in music, Godfather's Lollipop is great because of that. They take it a bit further and actually make a point out of it with this very real situation of the relationship between church and brothel. Very clever writing on this chorus, great work!
His Hands Matched His Tongue
A long walk home, riddled with regret
Uncommonly comfortable, but still I believe
That in time I think I'll see just what's been weighing down on me
An unearthy void collapsed, exposing what was trapped
To release this serendipitous design
What is that? Your little diary? Goodness, how could you fall so low after that last song was so good?
This entire song is boring and poorly written but I do commend them on making the connection to the song before (as already mentioned) with "Sing softly, bring me to the lake; Sing softly, sing me to the lake" .
Uncommonly comfortable, but still I believe
That in time I think I'll see just what's been weighing down on me
An unearthy void collapsed, exposing what was trapped
To release this serendipitous design
What is that? Your little diary? Goodness, how could you fall so low after that last song was so good?
This entire song is boring and poorly written but I do commend them on making the connection to the song before (as already mentioned) with "Sing softly, bring me to the lake; Sing softly, sing me to the lake" .
Overall an uninteresting concept album, the narrative itself not only is poorly written through the lyrics but is also a boring story in itself. They couldn't make references or clever wordings, not that many creative melodies. Really it's a very bland album, specially if you take away the work they put on the instrumental. The instrumental on its own is great, it does a great job of setting up the stage for each song even if it doesn't depict the tone it should in certain situations but I believe the writing is to blame since the story itself doesn't hold enough emotion and falls flat on itself. I mean, haven't we head this kind of story a hundred times already? And sure, this album isn't their latest release but it isn't that old either, it could most certainly afford to be better as many others have. I'm sure they had this great idea in their heads of making this theater show, but that doesn't mean it has to be written exactly like a broadway musical. If you're going out of your way to write an album, please do a good job and put interesting writing when you tell a story, you don't have any visual aid to work with other than the cover art - which by the way did not help at all in this case.
This album was so simple and bland I only needed to listen to it once to understand everything it had to tell me, while bands like CoCa and TMV I have to listen to multiple times and look up a ton of things.
If you're thinking about writing a concept album, please do research first, get some experiences, read poetry and lyrics outside of your comfort zone. Go for that masterpiece, don't settle for the simple just because it'll sell tickets.
This album was so simple and bland I only needed to listen to it once to understand everything it had to tell me, while bands like CoCa and TMV I have to listen to multiple times and look up a ton of things.
If you're thinking about writing a concept album, please do research first, get some experiences, read poetry and lyrics outside of your comfort zone. Go for that masterpiece, don't settle for the simple just because it'll sell tickets.