
Review: The Great Explainer – The Way Things Swell (2010)
Jimmy Roxy is a composer/producer from Madison, Wisconsin. Ever since his dog died, the world has become a cruel, senseless place filled with hateful cats who feel the need to mark their territory in his closet. (Editor note: They made the adjective ‘uncanny’ to describe his ability to articulate music frankly and to the point. If only you heard his description of H•A•M)
The Great Explainer have a fantastic future as a Taking Back Sunday cover band. Their recent EP, The Way Things Swell, is a perfect example of a pop punk band attempting to defy their genre, refusing standard pop hooks and structures, essentially creating a post-rock album with lyrics. They also seem to think click tracks are for phonies, favoring off-tempo drums.
Essentially, The Great Explainers have progressive ambitions, but lack the songwriting resources and harmonic knack to make them a reality. The Way Things Swell is a handful of wonderfully creative moments (ex. The introductions to “Codeine… Bourbon” and “Michael Jordan 666”) hidden in a shitstack of poorly-executed prog-punk. The boys from Jersey need to stop cribbing off of Piglet and embrace their saccharine potential as the next, “Girls Like Boys.”
For fans of: Taking Back Sunday, Coheed and Cambria, Piglet
Tracklist:
“Quotas”
· Begins well with a solo guitar, heavy in distortion. The break into the verse feels awkward, however. A very obvious splicing of bits in the studio.
“I Finally Found My Dreamboat”
· Goofy enough to overcome it’s hackneyed structure.
“Codeine… Bourbon”
“Michael Jordan 666”
Rating:4.4/10
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