"So Divided" by Trail Of Dead
Gabe Says:
I’ve never understood the indie rock exposure that …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead gets. I honestly believe they owe most of it to their badass name. When Source Tags & Codes came out I was intrigued to find out what kind of bizarre storm of whirlwind rock could warrant such a heroic and frightening title. I heard their live shows were monumental. I heard they were a good band. That wasn’t what I heard when I listened to them. I heard pretentious ex-metalheads trying to fool everyone into thinking they write dark epic masterpieces. I found them mediocre at best; them or Godspeed! You Black Emperor, or Death From Above 1979 or My Mom Is Napoleon’s Penis (I’m not sure if that last one is real or not). But I also heard that this new album was going to be a new direction for the band, with a more traditional song-oriented approach of eclectic influences. Once again what I heard was way off.
On their near death bed as a band after the poor sales of their last album, Trail of Dead went into the studio to record a last hoorah EP. They came out with a full-length album that should have been an EP. They took mediocre songs, some even bordering on that foulest of musical styles: Emo Mallrock, and threw in interludes of bland orchestration to keep up with their own “epicness.” They even managed to make one of my favorite Guided By Voices songs sound pretentious by spewing cheeseball strings and piano all over it. What makes Bee Thousand such a great record is what it doesn’t say. The brain is the biggest erogenous zone, Trail of Dead, please try to keep in mind that sometimes less is actually more.
Matt Says:
Disagree, I hated this band before I heard this album. I think this was a step in the right direction. But I agree that they're WAY over-hyped.
I have to disagree with you. Trail of Dead are a band who produce albums that bear incredibly rich fruit with repeated listens. I don't believe you've given the album a fair chance; either that or you'd already decided to dislike the album before even listening. If the former, I suggest you listen a few more times. I love the album.
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