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Now that bands like Jimmy Eat World are breaking into the mainstream it seems as though emo has never been more relevant. If you’re bored of Blink or think Sum suck, try branching out into emo for a taste of punk without the power chords. First of all pop pickers, you may be asking, “what the hell is emo?”… Well, it’s an oft-asked and controversial question but for argument’s sake I’ll just say it’s short for emotion. Emo bands write sensitive songs about love lost or unrequited, setting intelligent lyrics to fiendishly complicated guitar parts. New End Original’s line-up reads like a who’s who of the emo scene; the band features Jonah Matranga of seminal rockers Far and two members of Texas is the Reason and the drummer formerly of Chamberlain. Essentially these guys have pedigree worthy of a place at Crufts.
Now, pedigree is all good and fine but there have been many combos with an outstanding heritage of talent who have released absolute stinkers. Most recently Ozzy Osbourne new band, including the drummer from Faith No More, released “Dreamer”, a single so bad that you spend the whole time trying to work out if you’re missing the joke. Fortunately for us New End Original rock. They pick up the emo mould where Jimmy Eat World’s “Clarity” left it, creating an album diverse in sounds and not afraid to experiment.
“Thriller” is certainly eclectic, with songs ranging from the power-punk of “Lukewarm” through the piano-laden loveliness of “Leper Song” right up to the meandering charm of “Better Than This”. New End Original follow the age-old rule of grabbing you by the neck with the opening song. “Lukewarm”, set to be the album’s first single, is not just frenetic but unbelievably catchy. What sets it above the idiotic songs of Blink though, are lyrics that actually carry meaning and don’t rely on stupid rhyming couplets. Things get interesting around track three, “Hostage”, a song brave enough to start with a 30 second “solo”, and then build on guitars and lyrics gradually. The track perfectly demonstrates the range of New End Original’s repertoire, combining big riffs with quiet moments. Like all great songs it is varied in style, and in 4 minutes manages to cover an impressive range of styles.
Possibly the best track on the album is “Leper Song”, a wonderful piano melody accompanied by soulful, intelligent lyrics. Although a sad song it is not part of the ultra-depressed branch of the emo genre and contains such examples of lyrical wit as, “I’m lonely as leper / I’m contagious as hell”. Ranking closely alongside “Leper Song” is Monkey with Attitude’s favourite song, “#1 Defender”: two songs that epitomise the emo movement in their beauty. If you’re already an emo fan then try downloading these; if you’re a Blink fan who just wants more then ease yourself in with “Lukewarm” and you won’t look back, I promise.
New End Original lovingly construct elaborate songs that I cannot really fault on many levels. You may think this review is unbalanced and biased but I really am at a loss as to how I am meant to criticise this album. It’s not too obscure or experimental; it’s very accessible and the songs are breathtakingly wonderful. It may have taken an emo powerhouse like Jimmy Eat World to break through into the mainstream, but the bands they have left in their wake look even more promising. Amazingly this album was made within one month of the band performing their first live show. You should expect great things to come if the band doesn’t implode before getting down o making another album. Ultimately, New End Original have produced an album that more than proves that they are better than the sum of their parts. If you have even the slightest taste in music then check this out. For New End Original it looks like years of hard slog in other bands has finally brought success.
Just remember you don’t need to be a pariah or an emotional cripple to fall in love with emo music... But it helps :-)
Now, pedigree is all good and fine but there have been many combos with an outstanding heritage of talent who have released absolute stinkers. Most recently Ozzy Osbourne new band, including the drummer from Faith No More, released “Dreamer”, a single so bad that you spend the whole time trying to work out if you’re missing the joke. Fortunately for us New End Original rock. They pick up the emo mould where Jimmy Eat World’s “Clarity” left it, creating an album diverse in sounds and not afraid to experiment.
“Thriller” is certainly eclectic, with songs ranging from the power-punk of “Lukewarm” through the piano-laden loveliness of “Leper Song” right up to the meandering charm of “Better Than This”. New End Original follow the age-old rule of grabbing you by the neck with the opening song. “Lukewarm”, set to be the album’s first single, is not just frenetic but unbelievably catchy. What sets it above the idiotic songs of Blink though, are lyrics that actually carry meaning and don’t rely on stupid rhyming couplets. Things get interesting around track three, “Hostage”, a song brave enough to start with a 30 second “solo”, and then build on guitars and lyrics gradually. The track perfectly demonstrates the range of New End Original’s repertoire, combining big riffs with quiet moments. Like all great songs it is varied in style, and in 4 minutes manages to cover an impressive range of styles.
Possibly the best track on the album is “Leper Song”, a wonderful piano melody accompanied by soulful, intelligent lyrics. Although a sad song it is not part of the ultra-depressed branch of the emo genre and contains such examples of lyrical wit as, “I’m lonely as leper / I’m contagious as hell”. Ranking closely alongside “Leper Song” is Monkey with Attitude’s favourite song, “#1 Defender”: two songs that epitomise the emo movement in their beauty. If you’re already an emo fan then try downloading these; if you’re a Blink fan who just wants more then ease yourself in with “Lukewarm” and you won’t look back, I promise.
New End Original lovingly construct elaborate songs that I cannot really fault on many levels. You may think this review is unbalanced and biased but I really am at a loss as to how I am meant to criticise this album. It’s not too obscure or experimental; it’s very accessible and the songs are breathtakingly wonderful. It may have taken an emo powerhouse like Jimmy Eat World to break through into the mainstream, but the bands they have left in their wake look even more promising. Amazingly this album was made within one month of the band performing their first live show. You should expect great things to come if the band doesn’t implode before getting down o making another album. Ultimately, New End Original have produced an album that more than proves that they are better than the sum of their parts. If you have even the slightest taste in music then check this out. For New End Original it looks like years of hard slog in other bands has finally brought success.
Just remember you don’t need to be a pariah or an emotional cripple to fall in love with emo music... But it helps :-)
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yeah, I have got one album that is good stuff... I reccomend the tracks '(a)pathetic' and 'the devil you know (God is a man)' and 'I know what you are', but the whole album (called 'Ignorance is bliss') is good.
Nope, but if there stuff is downloadable I get some soon if you say it's good stuff :-)
ah... anyone heard of that band Face to Face then?
Yeah he does write alot, he replied to like loads of people on his board (@ www.onelinedrawing.com then the onelinedrawing board) plus he does columns for a site called buddyhead.
He's got alot of opinions and would be willing I think to post on here, i'll tell him about this place :-)
Only thing is, he's dead busy. It's amazing how he finds time for his fans.
He's got alot of opinions and would be willing I think to post on here, i'll tell him about this place :-)
Only thing is, he's dead busy. It's amazing how he finds time for his fans.
Whereabouts is the Jonah messageboard?
You should try and get him to post in the Movies/music forum, now that really would be a coup..
You should try and get him to post in the Movies/music forum, now that really would be a coup..
MISTERHAPPY
Jonah read the review, here's what he said :
"MONKEY, thanks for posting that, it's supernice and really well-written too. Pass along thanks..."
So here I am doing just that and I agree with him, well done.
Jonah read the review, here's what he said :
"MONKEY, thanks for posting that, it's supernice and really well-written too. Pass along thanks..."
So here I am doing just that and I agree with him, well done.
I shied away from post-hardcore because Rival Schools and Fugazi are more part of that scene than the emo or emo-core scene. Hardcore tends to be more punk-orientated and emo tends to be more rock-orientated and emo-core is somewhere in between. I'd say NEO are between emo-core and emo. Some of their songs are very un-punk and some are very punk. It's a really good album all the same and thoroughly recommended.
The album I was talking about was Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing, which is Jonah from NEO and Rival Schools. It's a 5 or 6 track album and it's great stuff too.
The album I was talking about was Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing, which is Jonah from NEO and Rival Schools. It's a 5 or 6 track album and it's great stuff too.
misterhappy wrote:
> Cheers MWA, have you managed to get your hands on "Rival Schools United..
> " yet. They had a whole load of them in HMV near me... and at £5.99
> too..
Do you mean Rival Schools 'United by fate' or the EP (5 songs I think). If it is the album then I want that (£5.99, come on, that is really cheap!)
> Cheers MWA, have you managed to get your hands on "Rival Schools United..
> " yet. They had a whole load of them in HMV near me... and at £5.99
> too..
Do you mean Rival Schools 'United by fate' or the EP (5 songs I think). If it is the album then I want that (£5.99, come on, that is really cheap!)
One thing that you failed to mention is that emo is a branching out of the punk scene... anyway, ever heard of 'Face to Face'? I got an album of theirs cos a guy was selling lots of Punk CDs on Ebay, and I saw this, and had heard of Face to Face, so decided to get it. The album is called 'Ignorance is Bliss' and although I am no expert in emo (far from it) it seems Emo-ish to me (or what I imagine it to be) and was wondering if anyone could clear that up...
Anyway, Post-Hardcore and Emo are (supposedly) interchangable, and I like some post-hardcore, like Fugazi (you may have seen my review of 'The Argument') and Hot Water Music... anyway, nice review there...
Anyway, Post-Hardcore and Emo are (supposedly) interchangable, and I like some post-hardcore, like Fugazi (you may have seen my review of 'The Argument') and Hot Water Music... anyway, nice review there...
Cheers MWA, have you managed to get your hands on "Rival Schools United.. " yet. They had a whole load of them in HMV near me... and at £5.99 too..
Do you have Static Prevails by Jimmy Eat World, I'm listening to Episode IV off that at the moment. Good stuff.
Do you have Static Prevails by Jimmy Eat World, I'm listening to Episode IV off that at the moment. Good stuff.
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