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Take Desaparecidos and subtract all the sharp edges - Take
a file and round off the corners so that they don't cut as you pass
by them in the hallway. That's what Statistics is. Denver
Dalley has a knack for crafting brilliant indie rock that stands
up easily to his other project, the aforementioned Desaparecidos,
without the gritty, hard-to-listen-to-for-any-amount-of-time parts.
But make no mistake, Dalley rocks just as hard on his own.
Statistics blends keyboards into the mix, and concentrates more on
crafting songs of depth and interest, which reduces the sonic ambivalence
found in so much of Desaparecidos' music. The rhythms here are more
intricate and engaging. The melodies more skillfully crafted. The
guitars more full bodied and transfixing. The songs are full of feeling
and primitive desire. "The Grass Is Always Greener" is an
example of a sublime song that begins with lulling pads and jangling
guitars, only to build into a frenzy of emotion and carefully controlled
noise, which slowly fades, leaving only a brilliant drum loop playing.
"Hours Seemed Like Days" runs the gamut of expression (like
so many of these songs), but relies almost entirely on a more pure
rock guitar to carry the song to its conclusion, recalling some of
the finer moments of Bob Mould's career. "It used to be
that hours seemed like days/ let's go back in time/It used to be that
hours seemed like days/ let's just press rewind." These are the
remnants of emo at their very best. The songs blend together seamlessly,
negating the normal effect produced by a collection of songs of shorter
length. Rather, Leave Your Name feels like a whole; complete
in its sincerity and magnificence.
Everything about Statistics makes me wonder why Dalley spends his
time playing in other projects. Perhaps it's just that he needs
to be involved in something not so beautiful to turn around and
create something of such beauty. A Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde
sort of thing. Yin and Yang. Balance.
-Embo Blake
Track listing:
1. Sing A Song
2. Leave Your Name
3. The Grass Is Always Greener
4. Mr. Nathan
5. Accomplishment
6. Hours Seemed Like Days
7. Chairman Of The Bored
8. 2 a.m.
9. A Number, Not A Name
10. Reminisce
11. Circular Memories
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