I'm not going to lie. I first heard this band from one of those Myspace features, and I'm rather glad I did. I was interested in what this band sounded like after I saw their record cover, which displays a discerning-looking panda bear soaking in blood with human body parts in its mouth. Well all right!
The sticker on the cover of this CD (I hope you have all learned to never listen to these damned things) claims that man behind the carnivorous panda bear cd cover, Jarrod Gorbel, is the next Elliot Smith. Yes he is a very talented and unique songwriter, but that's about the only similarity. The Honorary Title's sound is something that would be best described as Conor Oberst writing the next Taking Back Sunday record. The lyrics are clever, and sometimes quite baffling. More than once while reading the liner notes I said to myself, "Why the fuck would he write that?" I won't provide examples because it will just give you a bad taste in your mouth for a record that is actually quite pleasant.
The Honorary Title is essentially singer/songwriter Jarrod Gorbel, backed by various drummers, and bassist/keyboardist Aaron Kamstra. I think some of the songs should have been recorded acoustic, just to change things up a little bit, but hey, what the fuck do I know.
Gorbel croons and moans through twelve tracks of not-so-self-loathing indie rock. Each song is well written and there are numerous unforgettable hooks and choruses throughout the whole record. There's some definite surprises on the record, such as "Disengage" the somewhat out of place mid tempo alt-country jam. If you're still having trouble imagining what The Honorary Title might sound like, think Brand New "Deja Entendu" with a more folk influence.
If this band plays their cards right they could end up on MTV as the next dude-with-guitar-and-keyboard-player band. Dashboard and the All American Rejects have done it, and I think the writing on Anything Else But the Truth is better than anything else the aforementioned bands have done. My only complaint is the track order. It seems obvious the record is broken into a more upbeat half and a slower songs that seem to crawl towards the last few seconds of the CD. Either way this record seems to fit any situation, as I listened to it with my girlfriend going to sleep last night, and again while having a grand time at the beach the next day.
