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by Tony Pascarella Published: June 10, 2005
One of the main problems facing Bullet Train To Vegas is the similarity between all eleven tracks. To even begin to review the album, I had to make sure I had the liner notes beside me to comprehend the lyrics. The variation between songs is a lot less than I think it should be, given the obvious talent that BTTV possesses. They have an interesting theme on We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are. The lyrics are decidedly emo-derived, although it seems like they're almost laughing a little at the genre. On the other hand, the musicianship is fast-paced punk with razor-sharp guitar riffs throughout the entire disc. As I mentioned, the main detriment to this album is that the entire half-hour seems to blend together in a Mars Volta-esque way. But while that may work for a progressive rock band, it doesn't do the same for Bullet Train To Vegas. Bullet Train To Vegas Is: Dan Sena (Vocals, Guitar) Erik Bailey (Guitar) Greg Horton (Bass, Vocals) Martin Cornish (Drums) The band pulls a Franz Ferdinand vibe out of their hat with the lead track, "Cut the Party to Pieces." A europop-inspired guitar riff that at time seems ripped directly from the Scottish group's self-titled album actually gives this song a pretty good bite. The scissor metaphor is a bit much with the line, "Run these shears across their throats/Bleed the banter from this crowd." The next track is "Prescription for the Blind." It sounds simply like a continuation of its predecessor except a little less focused. It's not as balls-to-the-wall, and that hurts the song. The lyrics here are better, though. "The Camera Eye Backbite" just doesn't get the job done. It will begin to become obvious that Bullet Train To Vegas just doesn't vary their discography much at all. When a song is replete with solid musicianship, it falls flat on its face in the originality category. What I mean is that again, Dan Sena and Erik Bailey lay down some awesome riffs, and Martin Cornish is pretty good on the drums; the song has just been done before. Track four is "On the Disclosure." Finally we get a song worth talking about. Dan Sena's vocals here are catchy and very much reminiscent of bands like Franz Ferdinand and Kasabian. No need to even comment about the musicianship here; it's top-notch. "RFLCTR BTZ" is a dancy number, but it gets repetitive, even in its brief one hundred and thirty second running time. One of the standout songs on the album is "This Bed's Meant For Two." Combining alternating screaming/singing vocals with a punchy riff and solid drumming, the song is definitely one of the best to grace We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are. "And Sorrow's Native Son" has some pretty good lyricism. It's somewhat detached, but they execute the vocals in a similar way to the previous track, which is a good thing. The guitar work is more rooted in punk, with a very smooth-sounding instrumental to close the track. "Feeding God To The Lions" is pretentious screaming at times, and it gets on your nerves quick. We all know that Bullet Train To Vegas isn't a hardcore band, but their vocals seem confused about that here. I also don't care for the production on this track; it sounds like it may have been recorded in a tunnel, which is generally not a good sound to have. "Removing Ground" is a very hooky song. Bailey and Sena do an excellent job, and Martin Cornish adds the perfect accents where necessary. If you want an angry-sounding track to drive down the interstate to, this one is probably for you. Next up is "Fashion the New Black." Dan shouts in places, sings in others, and it ultimately ends up flowing fairly well together. BTTV exhibits some raw energy that also helps this track stand out from the rest of the album. Closing We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are is "Some Goodbyes Last Forever." It's kind of boring in comparison to the fairly decent songs that precede it. They really don't cover any new ground, and the band returns to those guitar riffs inspired by Britpop. Basically, the song is an average closing to an average album. Bullet Train To Vegas is one of those bands with a ton of potential but that doesn't always translate to commercial success. They are immensely talented on all instruments, especially on guitar. If they improved their vocals some and maybe had Martin Cornish's drumming stand out a little more, they would definitely be a force to be reckoned with. Keep an eye on these guys; in the next couple of years, their popularity may just explode. 
Recommendation: BTTV needs a little bit of work before this album is a "buy". Genre: Punk/Indie Overall Grade: B- (80%) |
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