Review Summary: Once a mediocre metalcore band, Grace Gale resurfaces with a new lineup and a new sound. It doesn't work.
Grace Gale's first full length, A Few Easy Steps To Heli-Camel Safety, while generic and certainly average by industry standards, was one of my guilty pleasures. Despite the average music, the vocals were what did it for me, and they had a good sense of humor. After losing all but two original members, the guitarist and drummer, they decided to reinvent themselves and emerged with a new sound. It was not for the better, by any stretch of the imagination.
While they were once a mediocre metalcore band, they have turned into a pop-punk outfit with few... nay, NO redeeming qualities. What is presented here is ten tracks of terrible, misguided, musical waste. I wanted to love this CD so much, as when i heard of Grace Gale taking a new direction I hoped that maybe they would embrace the new style and make something truly unique and ear-catching.
The truly sad thing is, there are two fantastic songs on here, and had they modeled the entire album after these tracks, Grace Gale would have had a great album on their hands. Unfortunately, they decided to make eight tracks that all sound the same. The sound they have created, or rather stolen from every other band is one that some might find enjoyable. Namely, the tight pants wearing crowd.
By meshing semi-distorted guitar riffs with the occasional screamed vocal, and layering some basslines over the top, this easily could have been a Fall Out Boy album, with nonsensical lyrics and sub-oar instrumentation in tact. The guitar riffs are standard fare that you would expect from your local high-school screamo band, not a band that is signed to a label and has an established fan base. The playing here is truly elementary, and is possibly the most straightforward guitar playing since Green Day began playing the same four chords on American Idiot. The drumming is also amazingly mediocre, with absolutely nothing noteworthy to point out. No fills, no solos, no nothing. The bass, while audible is literally the strumming of one, possibly two notes. For the best example of this, listen to the opening track, Pack Mentality.
Which brings me to the vocals, the only redeeming factor of this band. Well, half redeeming. The clean vocals are whiny and forced, almost certainly auto-tuned to hell, and become grating on the ears halfway through the CD. The screams are another story. They sound natural, and most likely are the only thing that weren't tailored to "perfection" in post-production. To make matters worse, the lyrics that the nasally voice deliver are about as mediocre as everything else, focusing on things like drinking, sex, and... missing people. Again, standard fare. But that standard fare becomes just bad when the delivery is just terrible.
The two tracks i mentioned that are the saving grace of this album are entitled "Fairweather" and "The Clinic." The former is an acoustic little ditty with actual decent lyrics that will hold your attention throughout its two minute duration. Good thing its so short too, because I sincerely doubt anyone could stomach more of the singer's voice. The latter is the definite highlight, and is the main reason i give this album a 2, though i've been very harsh on it. "The Clinic" is the only throwback to the old Grace Gale i knew and kind of loved. It opens with distortion and bass before leading into a catchy guitar riff and then it explodes with almost all screamed vocals, making swift reprieves for singing, but shifting back to the screaming before you'll be tempted to end the pain by putting on something else.
A lot of bands like to re-invent themselves these days. One of three things usually happen.
1. The change is for the better and they find an entire new demographic to appeal to. (As Cities Burn's Come Now Sleep)
2. The change is just there and while having a new sound, nothing earth shattering takes place (And Then There Were None's Who Will Speak For Planet Earth?)
3. The change is poorly received, and the band was obviously not meant to go in the direction they chose. Case in point: Grace Gale.
