Review Summary: A Tale of Two Beetles
The year is 2006 and it’s the end of the school semester. I’ve just completed my final examination for Applied Differential Equations. After exiting the room, a classmate and I discuss solutions for several of the problems that appeared on the comprehensive exam. Before parting ways, we swap several CDs. Fumbling through the albums given to me during our exchange, a black beetle juxtaposed on a white background catches my eye (although a great album, not Massive Attack’s Mezzanine). I place the disc into my well worn Sony Disc Walkman (I’d kill to have enough money to purchase an iPod Classic), wrap my headphones around my ears, press play, and begin the forty minute walk back to my apartment.
Snow is falling and the unforgiving Wyoming wind stings my cheeks. Ice and snow crunch beneath my feet. My breath is visible in the night air, and I tuck my mouth and nose inside my coat to keep warm. Unknowingly, a seemingly simple album, displaying a polished black beetle on the front cover, will become a staple within my current and future music catalog.
Fast forward.
The year is 2022 and I’m working remotely. YouTube is cycling through recommendations in the background. I hear a familiar voice and pause for a moment. I peer through my dimly lit home office at a computer screen across the room. I’m just barely able to make out the image of a white beetle. Listening intently and inching closer to the screen, I observe that both the vocals and album cover are messy and rough around the edges. Despite similarities, this isn’t the polished band or sound that I expected. By name, this is something different. This is Dead American.
Comparisons aside, Dead American and their maiden album, New Nostalgia, adequately satisfy my occasional craving for early 2000s post-hardcore. In this regard, Dead American are successful. Even Tom from MySpace would approve. Instrumentally, there’s quite a bit to enjoy throughout New Nostalgia. The music isn’t groundbreaking but each song is satisfactory and the album flows well from start to finish. The drums and bass keep everything moving forward, effectively creating and carrying energy into each and every song. The guitars offer enough interplay and variety to keep my attention. Even the vocal delivery features an appropriate mix of clean and aggressive passages. In short, the album is kind of good.
Unfortunately, avoiding comparisons isn't possible. Taking a step forward into the spotlight, New Nostalgia boldly challenges its predecessor: A tale of two beetles.
To begin, Cove Reber offers many strengths as Dead American’s frontman. His more aggressive tone complements Dead American’s style. Aggressive and harsh vocals are featured throughout and songs such as Choke and Hollow Voices showcase his more aggressive vocal delivery. Having seen Dead American live in concert, Cove’s harsh vocals were most notably a highlight and source of strength for the band.
It’s well known that during a fight, you never reveal your weakness. Dead American should be fully aware that masking a weakness is as important as showcasing a strength. Unfortunately, glaring issues with Cove’s tone and pitch are placed front and center. There are moments when his imperfect voice complements the gritty and chaotic sound that the band aims for, but they are too few and infrequent to have a lasting impact. Notably, songs which take a softer or more melodic approach suffer. Hate Speech and Just Let Go are prime examples, but issues exist throughout. With a little bit of creativity, many of Cove’s deficiencies as a vocalist could be obscured from listeners. As previously mentioned, the other band members are more than capable of showcasing their own set of skills. Highlighting other members of the band, even for a brief moment, should have been taken into consideration. It’s an unfortunate misstep and lost opportunity.
Vocal delivery aside, Cove has more notably failed to improve as a lyricist. In fact, things have only become worse. The exception to this being Reina’s Song (Lost My Mind). To be fair, reflecting on Cove’s previous material, he was never a great lyricist, but a hint of optimism and heartfelt honesty helped to elevate his previous works. However, Dead American showcases a vastly different mindset and perspective from Cove. Throughout, Cove’s lyrics are centered around frustration, anger, loss, and struggle. Lines such as “It’s not me, It’s not you, It’s not anything, other than thoughts in my head I can’t get rid of” from Hollow Voices, and “It’s safe to say you never changed. You couldn’t play the game you lost. Try again next time” from The Opposite, provide a dismal glimpse. As can be seen, these lyrics are juvenile at best. It also doesn’t help that New Nostalgia is littered with expletives. Given a new creative opportunity, I expected Cove to express his emotions in a more meaningful way. Rather than appearing as a well-trained fighter, ready for primetime, New Nostalgia’s mediocre lyrics and vapant profanity reduce much of the album to that of a child, throwing a tantrum.
Fast Forward.
The year is 2023. I’m holding two albums in hand. The topic of Nostalgia is at the forefront of my mind. Reflecting on my own life experiences, I’m fully aware that my life has often branched into exciting and often unforeseen directions, filled with career shifts, new interests and hobbies, and most importantly, spending time with my wife and children. I shelve both albums alphabetically within my collection.
I peer outside the window and see that it’s starting to snow for the first time this autumn. I bundle up my kids and walk them to their bus stop. While snowflakes lightly dance through the air, we talk and laugh about how silly our neighbor’s dog looks. Shortly after my kids depart on the school bus, I turn and begin to retread my steps back home. I pause and for a brief moment see my breath extend outward. Gently, I reach into my coat pocket and grab my Sony Digital Walkman (I never had enough spare cash to buy an iPod Classic). I press play and just before going dark, I briefly observe a glossy black beetle set against a white background appear on the display. I’m ready for another new adventure and perhaps a brief taste of nostalgia.
