Review Summary: A promising debut that shows once more that the emo genre thrives on the EP format.
Self described 'emo/alternative' band Secret Stuff hail from Nashville Tennessee, and with their debut EP
Learning Not To Care, have crafted an excellent debut characterised by an array of interweaving guitars and prominent vocals. While far from ground breaking, the EP succeeds almost completely in simply doing each constituent part totally right.
The biggest strength the album has going for it is the guitar playing: Whether it be the slower, more melodically inclined songs; or the faster, louder songs. The band's employment of three guitars is in no way unnecessary, as can often be the case, but rather allows for the creation of rich, polyphonic progressions. This is apparent from the opener 'Maybe you love me. Maybe you Floridon't.' which, ridiculous title aside, settles into the kind of mellow groove that is rare in this kind of music, and manages to be simultaneously blissful and melancholic. The latter of which is reinforced by what seems to be an obligatory inclusion in modern emo, a movie sample. This one courtesy of
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The guitars carry on in a similar fashion for the entire EP, impressive whilst retaining a punk aesthetic. Conversely, the rhythm section is rarely flashy, but importantly never feels like a hindrance to the album. The bass in particular does a good job of knowing when to be technical and when to simply supply low end. Furthermore, the instrumentation as a whole benefits from very well balanced production, rendering everything crisp and punchy. Perhaps most crucially, it never strays into the realm of over production.
The lyrics and vocal performance are standard fare for an emo release. Heartbreak permeates 'You make me touch your hands for stupid reasons', while 'Senior superlatives' revels in nostalgia. The vocals range from a defeated drawl, to frustrated yells; the common factor being that they are always expressive. Frontman Michael pfohl does lend considerable personality to the tracks though and he always feels completely genuine, which allows him to get away with the occasional piece of overly kitschy lyricism such as: "Girls aren't ***ing toys, to be played with by little boys". However, sentiments like "Sick of lamenting over things that I can't change" are astute enough to resonate with everyone.
The EP's ambitious closer requires special mention for two reasons. Firstly, because it is the perfect way to finish the album; emphatically final and resoundingly sentimental. Secondly, because the track is marred slightly by a completely unnecessary coda that is somewhat unceremoniously tacked on at the end. Not only does it detract from what would have been a powerful finale in the form of the refrain 'My life is a Steinbeck novel and I'm learning not to care', it is also rather clumsily phrased. It tries to continue the metaphor of life as a book, and needlessly makes explicit what was implicit in the refrain. This is however a minor complaint and doesn’t stop the song from being a very poignant sign off for the band.
Tennessee may not be the first place typically associated with the emo genre, but Secret Stuff go a long way to showing that doesn't matter. A couple of small flaws and signs of immaturity live in the shadow of what is an impressive debut, showcasing a band more than capable of making relatable, catchy and above all interesting songs. This is a band who with a little growth, could do great things in the genre.
