From A Second Story Window
Not One Word Has Been Omitted (2004)
Jim
Another day, another tech band, right? Well, despite their entrance into a genre that seems to expand by twenty bands every couple of hours, From A Second Story Window brings more than enough to the table to keep listeners happy.
Although they could easily slip into the niche carved out by others, From A Second Story Window has decided to expand upon the sound. The songs rely heavily on speaker smashing grooves and vocals that are all over the place. The band's manic nature may initially turn away some listeners, but beneath the discordant surface, these songs are extremely well constructed. From A Second Story Window truly creates something different than what was done by their predecessors. The changes in these songs are unexpected, not contrived. A lot of bands who try to break up heavier passages with a little bit of melody give their songs a copy and paste feel, but these tracks flow perfectly. Bands like Between the Buried And Me have tried this approach before, but these guys have succeeded where they have failed, because they've added new wrinkles to their sound and done it well enough that it sounds natural.
This is yet another very strong release out of Black Market Activities. This label is really building a reputation for itself as one of the leading purveyors of chaotic, challenging music. From A Second Story Window truly creates something different than what was done by their predecessors. With this very strong EP under their belts, there's no limit to what this band can do with their next release, and it should be very interesting. If you like Between the Buried And Me or older A Life Once Lost, you should enjoy this one. Since a lot of bands are content to find one style, and stick with it, it's refreshing to see a band like this come along and actually improve upon something.
My Favorite Track: Vespers