Donor

Ache Through My Bones (2014)

RENALDO69

There's no doubt that people are recognizing more and more the influx of bands doing the emo thing. I don't know why it's something that sticks out as 'another band doing this shtick'. Do we mention when another band does the 'punk' or 'hardcore' or 'insert another genre' thing here. Why this genre gets singled out…I'll never be able to ascertain. If a band makes good music, why should we care what genre it is? As long as it's good music, right? Donor mixes up Dikembe, You Blew It!, You'll Live and Crucial Dudes and brings out a distinct feel, familiar to the sounds making the Florida circuit come alive these days. And it's a pretty good sound. Ache Through My Bones is light-hearted emo done nicely with a warm charm and palpable pop-punk charisma.

The twinkly-emo presence of "Bitt Will Fit" blends a rhythmic alternative vibe with melodic guitars on top of a dirty-sounding production. Neat little math-bridges and strained vocals bring out a certain musical aesthetic that yes, quite a few bands are doing, but again, the music is indelible and hard to ignore. Plain and simple. It pops up even more in the rougher-edged "Everything Feels Illegal" which is indicative of album - substance over style. All the tracks are stripped bare, raw and passionate.

It's an indie record done right and as scraped up and rough-cut as it seems, it works and it works fine. The distorted, flushed feel of "Pool Dad" pivots on angsty lyrical deliveries and throaty mutil-vocals to build a pent-up, broody atmosphere. They all aid in constructing a contemplative and fragile synergy. It acclimates well with the garage-like pop-punk flow of "Katy Perry, Please" and flavors Ache Through My Bones as another emo record that fits the bill of accessible, underground or mainstream music well. Whatever you want to define it as, it's an enjoyable listen