Ancille

The Flash and Hum (2004)

Jesse Raub

Remember Fairweather? That hardcore rip-off of Saves The Day? Apparently so does Ancille. But don't type cast them too easily, because they also sound very originally like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday. The result something that's completely new and fresh, full of creativity and unique song structures. At times, they even channel the ghost of 90s alternative rock, just to add a little bit of extra flavor.

Ugghh…I can't even keep up the facade. This band is so bland. Words like "wish," "photobooth," "lies," and "collapse" adorn the back of their CD by way of song titles. The average song length is a minute and a half, and even then the songs get old before they get to the end.

There are no standout tracks. Everything blends together into one seven-song, twelve-minute shitfest. "Collapse Design" sounds like a horrible attempt at a pop-punk song gone dark, while "A Kind of Wish," sounds exactly like the ho-hum mediocrity of the filler tracks on a Thursday album. I mean, it's not even good enough to sound like a good Thursday song (the word "good" used in relativity the regular audio-diarrhea they force out of the speakers). The low energy of the songs is partly due to the fact the the singer talks very monotone when he's not screaming. The least he could do is attempt to sing.

There you have it. Another "deep" band, exploring the realm of how much "screamo" American teens can take before they move on to the next aural trend.