Review Summary: Another shot at redefining post-hardcore. It's not the worst, but definitely not the best attempt you've ever heard.
A City Serene, a six piece, female fronted post-hardcore band, similar to bands like Eyes Set To Kill and Picture Me Broken. The band, hailing from San Diego, combines great screaming vocals, mediocre clean vocals and tight breakdowns.
The EP stars with
With Swords Crossed. Most people who know the band is because of this song. A slow starting song, where the vocalist of the band, Carly, starts the song singing
Breath through the rain, the falling sky brings fort the day, accompanied by some screams.
After a few seconds the song stars getting more upbeat and sounds like your everyday post-hardcore song you heard a thousand times before. As the song progresses, you will hear the breakdown. It may not be a long breakdown, but it's a fun one. This song isn't the best way to start an album with.
The second song on the album is called
Walk The Plank. An attempt to mix aggressive screams and clean vocals. The screaming department is great. The clean vocals though, aren't; they're average. They’re don’t do anything that hasn’t been done before. Aside from the vocal department, the instruments are great. The guitars have a nice, thick sound.
Walk The Plank contains a pretty good breakdown towards the end, accompanied by aggressive screaming; a great combination. That's also the part what made it hard to review. The song isn't really a big deal, but for the fans of breakdowns it is.
Next up is a song called
The Escape. This third song on the album is the least heavy song on the album and contains a very catchy chorus, just asking for a sing-a-long. The solo in this song is a great addition, and even though it may not be the best you've ever heard, it's still nice to here a solo now and then instead of the breakdowns at the end of every song.
We arrived at the final song and this is where A City Serene really shines. Being the heaviest song,
I Guess It’s Curtains For You is like your average post-hardcore song, combining both screams, clean vocals and harsh guitar riffs. The screams in this song are really tight, and every now and then even Carly sings above her own average.
By the time the breakdown kicks in, the lead guitar is trying to give your ears an eargasm. A very good piece of guitar playing as done here wasn't heard anywhere on this record. It's too bad the band decided to let you wait for the final song to show what they can really do. This song is hands down the best song on the album.
The Art Of Deceiving Perception is an average album by an average band who are trying to give a shot at the already excessively full post-hardcore genre. It doesn't redefine post-hardcore nor does it do anything out of the ordinary. Furthermore, it's a shame that Carly sings somewhat boring, because the screaming and instruments are of relatively high quality. There are a few catchy choruses on this CD sung by her, but that isn't an excuse for her rather dull singing throughout the entire album.
Pros:
+ Great breakdowns
+ Above-standard screams
+ I Guess It's Curtains For You
Cons:
- Carly's below average singing
- The EP contains only 4 songs
- A bit more variety won't kill the music
Final rating: 2.5/5
