Planes Mistaken For Stars - Up In Them Guts
In keeping with character, Planes Mistaken For Stars opens with a song unlike almost anything else on the record. It's a light acoustic number that does nothing to warn you of the raging storm approaching. And what a storm! There's some serious punch behind the starting tracks with some even earning the right to drop "post" from the oft-given label of post-hardcore this band receives. This bigger emphasis on harder sounding songs was probably a concious effort by the band to get out from under the shadow of the myriad Hot Water Music clones and develop an
identity that, beyond the obvious scratchy throated vocals, only vaguely hints at HWM in scattered riffs throughout "Up In Them Guts".
After their initial burst of speedy, sludgy songs they do slow it down for a couple tracks, incorporating moody atmospherics among the usual train wreck sound to great affect. This approach is most clearly shown on "Say Not A Word" which combines a fast/slow intro with an ambitious, expansive middle/ending. Another example is "Spring Divorce" which has a surprisingly effective guitar/piano interlude only to segue to a driving, climatic conclusion. Of course this is directly followed up by the two most aggressive tracks on the album, "A Six Inch Valley", which like tortured affairs on previous albums, centers on alcohol and the burning "Bastards".
Like all Planes Mistaken For Stars past releases, the vocals remain frustratingly low in the mix. I realize this is on purpose but I still think the obvious energy the vocalist is putting into his singing is somewhat wasted by never being on equal footing with the music. Countering that is much better production on this album. They finally deliver an acceptable, if not great, mix that's not plagued by the tinny "recorded in a trash can" sound used on past albums. Maybe this means they're making some $$ to upgrade their recording gear which is always good. Still, I can't ever imagine this band not sounding sludgy so this is probably as good as they're going to get on the production front.
Overall I'm very pleased with the direction on this record. I usually much prefer a move to a harder sound rather than the reverse so this album gets the thumbs up in my book. The mix of aggressive hardcore with more angst ridden mid-paced passages is a powerful combo that finally means this band can be taken as an entity all their own.
After their initial burst of speedy, sludgy songs they do slow it down for a couple tracks, incorporating moody atmospherics among the usual train wreck sound to great affect. This approach is most clearly shown on "Say Not A Word" which combines a fast/slow intro with an ambitious, expansive middle/ending. Another example is "Spring Divorce" which has a surprisingly effective guitar/piano interlude only to segue to a driving, climatic conclusion. Of course this is directly followed up by the two most aggressive tracks on the album, "A Six Inch Valley", which like tortured affairs on previous albums, centers on alcohol and the burning "Bastards".
Like all Planes Mistaken For Stars past releases, the vocals remain frustratingly low in the mix. I realize this is on purpose but I still think the obvious energy the vocalist is putting into his singing is somewhat wasted by never being on equal footing with the music. Countering that is much better production on this album. They finally deliver an acceptable, if not great, mix that's not plagued by the tinny "recorded in a trash can" sound used on past albums. Maybe this means they're making some $$ to upgrade their recording gear which is always good. Still, I can't ever imagine this band not sounding sludgy so this is probably as good as they're going to get on the production front.
Overall I'm very pleased with the direction on this record. I usually much prefer a move to a harder sound rather than the reverse so this album gets the thumbs up in my book. The mix of aggressive hardcore with more angst ridden mid-paced passages is a powerful combo that finally means this band can be taken as an entity all their own.
