Review Summary: It's like when you were a kid and liked a girl but then you just ended up liking another girl a week later the same amount, and on and on to the point of nausea.
It’s nearly 3am in the morning, I’m sitting at my computer eating a bowl of stale frosted flakes, waiting for episodes of Weeds to finish downloading, and I’m talking to someone I’ve wanted to bone for ages who is in a relationship. All the while, I’m reflecting on the fact that I’m 20 years old, and the most I’ve accomplished in life is almost earning an AA and being a staff writer for Sputnikmusic. If you haven’t noticed, I’m the typical white kid jerkoff. What ***ing better band to listen to than Make Me then?
Make Me are a dead emo band that need absolutely no more attention really. They made this demo, played some shows, made a myspace, got a fairly popular music blog to post a link to said demo/myspace and then broke up. So what is the point in even bothering to convince you to listen to them? Well, because sometimes you just want to listen to a band that no one else ***ing knows about, jam, and realize that supporting local music goes a long way to making sure bands who make a demo like this end up succeeding.
Owing equal influence to Midwestern bands like Cap’n Jazz and American Football and spazzier bands like Saetia (BUT perhaps not Saetia themselves…hmm?), it really does kind of sound like if Off Minor was a bunch of 14 year olds thrashing about on their instruments. Now that sounds retarded at first, but think about it: vaguely “jazzy” musical leanings (which is pretty much just a way of covering up the fact its pop-punk riffs with weird time-whatever bull***s), well developed songwriting and introspective lyrics, with all the honesty of being a kid and not yet being jaded ***s (also, without the pretension). What we’ve learned so far is, this is a demo made specifically to make internet nerds and skramz-elitists (aka: sputnikmusic) cream their collective 16-24 year old pants.
The songs are pretty much just recollections of youth and longing. Over the past one hundred years this has probably been done as often as a Brazilian prostitute, and if you are cynical and can’t be bothered with all that bollocks then really, go listen to Radiohead or The Smiths and forget this exists (it’ll be really easy, just don’t click this review again and you will probably never hear of it). For those looking to express a little misguided forlornness however, this *** is bomb. From the soft guitar licks that bring in “Rubber Sidewalks” to the epic grindy breakdown that kicks off “Hello Moon”, this album has everything you could want in a 17 minute demo recorded by 17 year old kids. Want guitar effects that sound like they couldn’t possibly even be real guitar riffs? “Relax and Adept” has it. Want a crazy emo-summer jam that concludes with angular riffing and shrieks and passionate yells? Yeah, you can listen to “Let’s Go Off On a Tangent”.
If you are in your “emo” phase, this is an excellent set of songs to get ahold of. They’re easily accessible but hold a lot of depth, something that most breakneck, shreddish screamo bands seem to lack. For those who merely are wondering “what the hell did that summary mean?”, Make Me could easily be the band that introduces you to the more up-tempo, lighthearted side of 90’s emo. Despite being a 00’s band, the sound here is definitely that of an era long gone, and its with that kind of mindset will you most enjoy Make Me.
