 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by Tony Pascarella Published: June 19, 2005
Takeover Records was formed a few years back by Yellowcard guitarist Ben Harper. They have since developed a name for themselves as a small independent punk label. Takeover, in an effort to increase their exposure, has been putting out 3-way splits between artists on various record labels. With Takeover Records 3-Way Issue #2, they include Epitaph's The Matches, The Militia Group's Reeve Oliver, and Takeover's very own NearMiss. There's another catch to this split; all the songs are unreleased or acoustic versions. Good stuff. The punk-meets-hardcore NearMiss handles the first three tracks. They already have an album out, 2002's self-produced The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the band is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Hernandez, lead guitarist Matthew Crane, bassist Myke Bingham, and drummer Max Bechard. Their particular brand of shout-punk is effective and at times downright catchy. "Number 7" is a short (only seventy-six seconds) song that unfortunately comes off as a little formulaic at the beginning. You could probably attribute it to any number of bands, but when they break into the shouted verses, it does kick up some more, saving the "Number 7" from mediocrity. "At The Seam" is actually only about a minute longer than its predecessor, but it devotes much more effort and talent to the hardcore sound contained in it. Insane drumming really helps the song pummel your eardrums. My main complaint is that Hernandez's shouting is a bit subpar and amateurish. The last song that NearMiss does is arguably the best. They get a pretty good punk vibe going, and they keep it up throughout. Jeremy Hernandez's vocals are easy to sing along to, and they never really explore the hardcore elements of this song, which is a good thing. NearMiss really doesn't bring anything new to the table, but I would certainly look out for them to make some noise with their next full-length. San Diego takes their best shot at Takeover's 3-way split with Reeve Oliver. This pop-punk trio released their self-titled album back in September of 2004 on The Militia Group Records. Vocalist/guitarist Sean O'Donnell is charismatic behind the mike, and his voice is surprisingly good. The rest of the band, bassist Otisserie Bartimus and drummer Brad Davis, also do a fine job. "Summer" happens to be a song for just the season its name implies. There's a solid underlying bass line, and Sean O'Donnell's voice is quality here. If you're making a summer mix, this is one you'll definitely want to include. "I Play The Sensitive Songwriter Card" is a pretty basic pop-punk song. It's very melodic and catchy, but the theme is kind of bland. I do have to give them some credit for Reeve Oliver making some darn good music, regardless of whether we think we've heard it before. Their final contribution is "We're All Gonna Die," a song that starts with a distant piano intro. That quickly reverses course when the entire band kicks in at once, ditching the piano use altogether. It gives "Summer" a run for its money, but it falls just short. Again, the band is technically proficient; it just seems to lack that extra "oomph." That and the fact that the air raid siren in the second half of the song absolutely pisses me off. Keeping with that West Coast theme, Oakland's The Matches, signed to Epitaph Records, finish up the final three tracks of this split. The difference being that here, two of their three songs are acoustic, as opposed to unreleased tracks. The Matches are an energetic quartet of vocalist/guitarist Shawn Harris, guitarist Jon Devoto, bassist Justin San Souci, and drummer Matt Whalen. Their critically-acclaimed debut album was released in May 2004. First up is the electric "A Girl I Know." The distorted vocals take a little getting used to, but the lyrics are really honest, and Shawn Harris and Justin San Souci's harmonies really make this song stand out. The Matches act like a pretentious pop-punk band, but they don't seem to fully take themselves seriously, so they can get away with doing that. I do enjoy the acoustic version of "Sick Little Suicide," but not as much as the electric version that appeared on their 2004 album, E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals. This song is very low-key, and the acoustic version doesn't have much of a spark to carry it. On the contrary, the acoustic version of "Shoot Me In The Smile" is a rip-roaring good time. Atop the sounds of smashing glasses, the guitar work is good, and it gives Shawn Harris a chance to really stand out as a singer. Frankly, the lyrics here are goofy; that's part of what makes it so enjoyable. Toward the end, it takes too long to wind down, with the band jabbering in the background and smashing some more glasses. This was a good inclusion to the split, however. Takeover picked three bands with a hell of a lot of potential. Each band has its high and low points, all of which I think are accurately put on display with their three songs included on 3-Way Issue #2. NearMiss has a really good drummer in Max Bechard, and the rest of the band isn't half bad at their instruments. Their issues seem to lie in Jeremy Hernandez's hardcore sound and how the rest of the band supports him when he hits some weak spots. Reeve Oliver has an intense punk sound that reminds me of one of Takeover Records' last split participants, Over It. Sean O'Donnell is a talented vocalist and is part of a stellar trio of musicians. They do seem to have a problem with not doing anything "new," but honestly that's a problem that plagues numerous bands today. The Matches does acoustic well, but their electric songs are...dare I say...more electrifying. They're definitely going to make it big soon. Basically, this split is for the people that want to check out some lesser-known bands without having to commit to hearing ten to twelve songs from them. It's also for fans of NearMiss, Reeve Oliver, and The Matches who want to get their hands on some unreleased material and acoustic tracks. All in all, I found Takeover Records 3-Way Issue #2 an enjoyable listen. 
Recommendation: This is for people exploring new stuff and fans of the three bands. Genre: Punk Overall Grade: B (86%) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2010 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |