The Number 12 Looks like you's first full length on Eyeball records. I am so glad these guys got signed to somethign because they rock. Imagine Between The Buried and Me without the lame intervals of mindless wanking and prog rock dickery, then add more creativity and some more spazzyness. That is The Number Twelve Looks Like You (yes, I am inconsistent whther to spell it out or just write 12, herefore, they will be referred to as TNTLLU). Basically, they are a very eclectic blend of genres with grade A in musical proficiency.
This band sounds like they have fun writing and playing which I think is key and their name suggest that they aren't another core band that takes themselves too seriously. If anyone knows what it means, do tell because I haven't yet found it. It's not joke music, but it's not exactly serious either.... You'll understand.
The album opens up with a quick little strumming that could open an indie rock record. But it doesn't. What it does do though is show that this band is all over the place and write excellent songs that make their way through some sort of musical spectrum while staying tight and uncliched. They also use a lot of melody without sounding boring which is super because if I hear one more 1-4-5 progression, I'll shoot somebody. Like any good opening track, The Devil's Dick Disaster shows what this band can do.
Throughout this album, TNTLLU pop in an out of discordant riffs and timings into somethign that makes a little more sense without the listener cringing at the odd timing gaps. They slide in and out of acoustic passages and grind spots and then shredfests. It's great. They also have a strong sense of the fact that one does not have to have a clear verse or chorus or any repeated part at all. They are there but few and far between. Each song feels like a true composition rather than a predictable piecing together of all too similar sections.
Lyrically they are pretty solid but they don't take anything too seriously. Because you can't really understand the lyrics everyou'd have to read them and trust me when I say they sure as hell aren't boring, they just aren't conventional (detect a theme?). The use of two vocalists is also very cool. Listen to Like a Cat to hear this best. They use a lot of interplay which makes things interesting.
I hope the new drummer is this good. The drummer left the band sometime in august or september of 2005 and apparently they have found a new one but man does this guy rock. He writes interesting parts and fits the music very well. He was an asset but I suppose if the new guy can do this, New Jersey just has a higher ratio of good drummers than central New York.
The guitars also use quite a bit of interplay and are quite good. They have some sections where they show off (solo in The Proud Parent's COnvention Held in the ER, most of Clarissa Explain Cuntainment). My favorite spot is probably from about 30 seconds in to Clarissa Explains Cuntainment to around 1:15. It is just cool. Texas Dolly also has some cool spots. Hell they all have cool spots. The guitars are very noticeable and good. The bass is usually not that prominent and I have trouble hearing bass anyway but if the rest of the band is any indication of his skill, he is quite good.
This band deserves listening. So do it.
