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“I’ve got a
heart with a black lining, I’ve got a heart full of black.” These lyrics from the chorus
of the first song (shockingly called “Heart Full of Black”) on the Brides’ album,
Leave No Ashes, are a promising introduction to a band with a great deal of rawk
potential. That the album comes virtually out of nowhere—from a group that people still
have yet to catch on to—is even more delightful.
Influences must surely
include the Foo
Fighters and a slew of bands from
the new rock explosion currently enjoying a
steady rise in popularity (Jet, Audioslave, Franz
Ferdinand, and The Killers, to name but a few…)
Their only weakness—and
yes, they have a big one—is that they seem to be in
the throes of a style struggle
throughout the album. The band is unable to determine if they’re alt rock or new rock,
and that’s a bit of a problem for me. It’s like sitting on the fence, and there’s
nothing rock ‘n’ roll about taking something halfway. Songs like “Heart Full of Black,”
“To Kill a Swan,” and “Pleasure in Pain” are obvious rock songs, while most of the rest
of the album has that over-sampled, standard power-chord, depression overdose feeling of
the dying alt-rock genre. Not that I dislike the sound, mind you. There’s certainly a
place in my ears for bands like Weezer, Puddle of
Mud, and the Foo, but the sound has become overdone. The rock on this album is
promising, but I’m still unsure of the band’s long-term intentions. I guess I’ll have to
wait for the second album to be released.
Something to think about:
Leave No Ashes has enough good songs to
justify buying it, and the band really
does seem legitimately promising. Basically, if you like both genres of music, there
will probably be something for you here. If you’re like me, though, and lean heavily
toward the new rock side, I’d recommend waiting for their next release.
