10

Dark Rock and Surly Punk

Think of goth rock posers HIM crossed with the earnest and raw sounds of the Clash and you've got Jake Searson pretty much tied up. The sinewy guitar sound of tunes like 'Breaking The Mould' slips from your stereo like a lithe viper and goes straight for the jugular. 'When Butterflies Collide' starts with a fantastic heavy riff that could come straight from Black Sabbath and the vocals take on a new insistent and twisted sound.

The guitars are the most versatile part of this record, 'Reject (By Choice)' takes on the more chugging nu-metal guitar style with vicious spoken vocals that seem to imitate some of Linkin Park's compulsive hits while 'FarAway' starts off with a syncopated ska-type rhythm before expanding into a melodic punk tune. 'Nice Guy' takes the punk a little further into an aggressive and nonchalant tune consisting of simplistic guitars and laidback lyrics, "Driving with my doggies in the back I saw that very same girl on the street' I toot my horn and yell, "You fancy a shag?"/She put up her middle finger and said f*** off you fag", which contrasts the dramatic darker rock tunes like 'When Butterflies Collide'. Personally I prefer the latter more eloquent and complex sound that seems to grip you rather than try to offend you.

'Truth and Lies' maintains a sense of dramatic tension as the guitars and percussion explode during the chorus, while all instruments are kept to a minimum in the pensive verses. 'Betrayal' strives to be a heavy rock epic with calling vocals and stinging guitar solos, as well as its very own 'madman' vocal echo. This is nothing compared to the crazy screaming vocals of 'Barley Lane' which race by at 90 miles an hour with only the brutal expletives audible, the chorus is haunting and delightful but frankly I can't be bothered with the aural attack that is the rest of the track.

This album is a complete mystery to me, there are some amazing complicated and wonderfully choreographed tracks like 'When Butterflies Collide' and what is presumably its follow-up, the hypnotic but powerful 'Butterflies Acoustic'. However there are also a lot of tunes that seem to be hastily put together to embody some kind of brash punk ethos that sits awkwardly amidst the genuinely great dark and dynamic rock songs.