Review Summary: Shudder To Think embrace their glamourous side
Shudder To Think’s penultimate album, Pony Express Record, was an acclaimed mix of math rock and post-hardcore with a glam bent. Craig Wedren’s vocals stood above and beyond what was - at the time - expected of post-hardcore (he can sing and hold a high note as opposed to disinterestedly intoning cryptic words and shouting), and the juxtaposition of heavy riffs, lush melodies and powerful vocals made for a heady concoction (Deftones have unsurprisingly cited them as an influence).
Pony Express Record was apparently written with originality in mind; the band was adamant they did not want to sound like anyone else. 50, 000 BC was supposedly rewritten as the they did not want to retread Pony Express Record, and the result was a relatively straightforward glam rock/metal album which was unsurprisingly both a commercial and critical disappointment. I can understand why. The songwriting is simpler. The tracks rarely deviate from a standard structure and time length and the hardcore roots are almost entirely gone. People surely expected more of the same forward-thinking, offbeat sensitivity of Pony Express Record and instead got a glam pop-rock album about love with a camp velvet cover.
But in retrospect I think the expectations fostered upon the band were unkind. The lack of pressure to make something unique resulted in a much more focused and concise album (Pony Express Record is a bit of a mess stylistically) In stripping away most of the edge and math rock tendencies the delicate melodies and pop sensibilities of the band shine through. Craig Wedren spends less time belting, whispering and crooning and more time simply singing, letting his tender voice have fun with the chorus oriented hooks. The reworking of Red House, which first featured on the Funeral At The Movies EP six years previously, illustrates the band's movement from punk to pop, with smoother production and a bigger chorus. Everything feels looser and more easygoing compared to the slightly mechanical, overly rhythmic feel a lot of math-rock struggles with. I saw a comment that said post-hardcore was devoid of sexuality, theatricality and glamour and that Shudder To Think bucked the trend. That person was correct. 50, 000 BC is the natural final stage in the Shudder To Think’s evolution of sensitivity.
