There is a parenthetical addition to this album's title that states "This Might Take More Than You Can Brave." Ironically, this statement has turned out to describe all too well my experience with reviewing it. Before I say anything more, I have to level with you guys (not just the readers, but the band as well if they ever happen to read this): I am utterly unqualified to review an album such as this. The reason, you ask? I am a snob, a heartless elitist snob. That is why I started reviewing albums in the first place. I could spend hours comparing the virtues of some random post-rock band and some random black metal band, but when it comes to something like this, I draw a blank. This isn't my area of expertise. And more importantly, due to the personal experiences that have shaped my musical opinions and preferences over the years, I have to say that it is nearly impossible for me to approach this album free of bias and preconceptions.
Now that I have my long-winded apology out of the way, I can try to do my journalistic duty and give this album a chance. Going into the treacherous world of music without the aid of a record label, I am sure that the guys in Down-Stares have poured their hearts, souls, and thousands of hours of work into this album. And that is precisely why it would pain me so much to pigeonhole this album as the work of just another crappy local hard rock/metal band, which is what I feared during my half-hearted first listen. Fortunately, after a few more times through, I have come to the conclusion that they are much more eclectic than that. They don't play metalcore (thank God!), although there is one pseudo-breakdown in the first song and there are some cookie monster vocals here and there. And fortunately, they don't particularly have any radio rock tendencies either, so they get a point for that.
But what do they play, really? Again, that's such a hard call for me to make. The first track, "Turning Point," is really just a chugging metal song with catchy vocals. The second track, "Instructions," is more of an anthemic punk song, and I think it's the best song on the album. "The Watershed," which is the third track, sounds to me like a less spastic Circle Takes the Square song, with totally different vocals. This song has ended up growing on me a lot.
This is followed by "Brushstrokes of the Sleeping Mind," which follows suit with "The Turning Point," but with more screaming. However, about one-and-a-half minutes into this song, things get interesting. Over a jazzy walking bass line, the guitars are played through some cool effects and get a little more on the atonal side, while the vocals descend into some sort of freeform poetry. I think this part of the song demonstrates the kind of creativity this band is capable of, and this is the case with the fifth and final track, "Nightfalls," as well. It starts out sounding almost like a pop song, with the catchy vocals accompanied only by drums and piano. But about two minutes into it, there is a really creative use of samples that is a fitting end to the album. After about six minutes of silence (it bugs the hell out of me when bands do that), there is a cover of The Doors' "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" which is well worth the wait. After that, the rest of the 19-minute track is taken up with seemingly random samples of the band's members conversing among themselves, some of which is pretty entertaining if you feel like sitting through it.
The old adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" is incredibly cliché, but it's true. This album is so multi-faceted, even a picky, pretentious bastard like me can find something to like. This album has taken me out of my comfort zone a little, and that's probably a healthy thing to do now and then. So thanks, Down-Stares, for that. Although it dabbles in styles that no longer interest me much, I have to admit that this band is brimming with talent.
