| "Somehow, for now, this skin will have to do..."
Once in a mauve moon (or "blue," just a color preference), a band comes along that dares to break the mold, refresh its audience with a sense originality that differs from the cookie-cutter styles of "the scene," and take music to something it hasn't been in quite some time, an art. The Receiving End of Sirens with their debut album "Between the Heart and the Synapse" is this band.
From experimental to screamo to emotive rock, The Receiving End of Siren's music style may not be what everyone would instantly think to pick up and make it a favorite. However, whatever genre one may classify it in, I believe one would be hard-pressed, stubborn, and blatantly ignorant to not admit TREOS is good at what they do. I know of no band to compare their sound to, and that is partially what gives them some of the uniqueness. The tripple-man-vocals might remind some of Taking Back Sunday, but that's still not even close. "Between the Heart and the Synapse," however, can be described as one thing at least: melodic rock. Now, if you have any preconceptions about that type of music, rip them in half. They won't fit here.
The album's format alone is something to be appreciated. It is utterly seamless. Through the copious use of intros, outros, and "intermissions" that act like ghosts to a previous track or a subtle precursor to upcoming songs, all parts of the cd seem to blend together into one epic musical tale. The interludes are not just the traditional, bland, instrumental pieces that many artists throw out in vain hope to achieve some sort of emotion. TREOS accomplishes an incredibly moody piece of faint vocals and melody drawn by synthesized recordings or a steady beat from the piano. Electronics may come in the form of a disturbing buzzing sound, to puppeteer ambience, to muffled voices. All of this easily sets the mood they tried to accomplish.
Now, you'd think TREOS might be too "synthed-out" to even put on a live show. Guess what? I payed them a visit at the Warped Tour. No doubt they were the best there (and I got to see Fall Out Boy and Underoath). I must also add how incredibly humble this band is. Unlike the rest of the arrogant, stuck-up, "punk" attitudes of the majority of bands at the Warped Tour, they eagerly talked to their fans (me included) and acted as they should, like normal people, not celebrities. Hopefully this humble mindset does not become debased if they get more fan support, but I must say, TREOS's band members consist of plain good people in general.
Perhaps what impresses me the most about "Between the Heart and the Synapse" are the lyrics that drive it forward. At first glance, one might see the complicated, hard-to-understand lyrics and just shrug them off as if they came from another emo writer who is just trying too hard. Read them. Instead of the normal "my girlfriend dumped me" cliche of most melodic rock bands, TREOS wraps up all of their thoughts and emotions inside enigmatic metaphors that, though hard to decypher, keep the listener interested and show the very intelligent mind behind them. Each song is filled with clever alliterations and play on words instead of the obnoxious use of lines like "Smash my heart. I'll bleed for you." The song "The War of All Against All" becomes my favorite due to lines like "Forged casualties with casual please / Dying to please the enemy / We die to stay alive. We kill to survive. / We are the corp of corpses / We are up in arms and armed / ...We were led to lead lovers." And those are just a few. I have no doubt that TREOS has one of the most talented lyricists in existence as of now.
"Between the Heart and the Synapse" does have its flaws. Vocals sometimes seem (for lack of a better word) whiney, the catchy choruses may be overused and become repetitive (such as "The Evidence"), and the drawn-out feel of the album (no song is under 4 minutes while accompanied with the interludes) can sometimes bore. However, these are only borderline flaws that some might actually find attractive and others may dislike. Post-hardcore riffs from the attack of tripple-guitars, strong bridges and heavy "breakdowns" (I just can't keep myself of...screaming...along with "Her fingers, like spiders, spun a web my body couldn't shed!), and a fluent procession of pure music without limitations given by the industry (MTV, Greenday, need I go on?) give the album a polished sense that distracts from any flaws that must come along with any record.
It's not for everyone, but The Receiving End of Sirens' "Between the Heart and the Synapse" has much to be admired within it. I HIGHLY reccommend this album, even if it's not your style. An open mind can truly appreciate it and how it breaks free from all genre or style limitations. If anything, pick this up just to try something new. I find this album truly amazing.
4.5 out of 5 Website-- www.thereceivingendofsirens.com
Listen-- www.myspace.com/thereceivingendofsirens |
