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The introduction is subtle, but even the first notes evoke a reaction in me, as only those wonderful melancholic rock songs can. There is surely a musicological explanation for this – I feel longing, I see country roads, I see irretrievable moments that mean life. The songs remain dry, not clogged with the pathos of the sentimental cannon. This can be played live, and the band clearly loves nothing more than that. The vocals sound snotty, but not broken in a pseudo-punk way. In the best moments, well-arranged guest musicians join in, with brass, banjo (Joe Raposo from RKL and Lagwagon), and cello. And then there are the moments when a distorted guitar adds its electrifying tones on top. When everything else has been acoustic, this sound unfolds particularly effectively.
So what has GET DEAD done right? They have a knack for songwriting. No song on this record sounds like the other, thus they have already circumvented the first pitfall of stylistic pigeonholing. Sure, there’s an obvious country song here, or Mike Ness is unmistakably a godfather with his solo work. However, throughout the album, there is no obvious formula that the band operates by.
What is also absolutely true is the arrangement. It never sounds like too little, never like too much. In fact, this acoustic ensemble has hidden a lot, which doesn’t jump out at the listener but reveals itself only upon active listening. Overall, I find the first half of the tracks better; if there were a one-sided record, I would recommend that. As it stands, however, there is only the complete package, and alongside plenty of gems, there isn’t a bad song on it.
