Cadillac Blindside
The Allegory of Death and Fame
Fueled By Ramen

Don’t let the perplexing album title and artwork fool you, Cadillac Blindside isn’t as complicated as they may want to be. If Hot Rod Circuit and Alkaline Trio had a baby, and that baby liked to hang around drinking in graveyards late at night, it would sound something like Cadillac Blindside. The band has the ability to appeal to a wide variety of music fans, proven by the fact that they have toured with everyone from Less Than Jake to Dillinger Four to Dashboard Confessional.

"Always A Comedian" cranks things up right away, exciting you if you have heard of these guys before, and making you wonder where you have been if you haven’t. "Empty Bottle Evening" keeps things moving at a furious pace, bringing to the front the punk edge that keeps the entire EP furiously interesting. "Premeditated Redrum" maintains the intensity of the first two songs, and by now, your jaw may be agape. The next two tracks, the slow rocker, "Consumed By Television Sets," and "Where Will I Sleep Tonight" are the weakest of the six, but are still quite good. Fortunately, after the brief lull, "Read Em And Weep" closes things out with another blast of energy.

There is no shortage of intensity here. The only noticeable problem is that some of this material may sound familiar. Cadillac Blindside display touches of pop, emo, punk, and straightforward indie rock, but some of the blending sounds like it has been done before. The perfect example is "Read Em And Weep," which sounds a great deal like The Get Up Kids in the Four Minute Mile era. Fortunately, the lyrics avoid, for the most part, the overdone themes of girls and touring, opting instead to delve a little deeper into life, friends, and dreams. The potent, sometimes slightly unintelligible, vocals are backed by robust musicianship, while touches of piano and instrumentals keep things interesting. It may not be the most groundbreaking thing you’ve heard lately, but The Allegory Of Death And Fame is well worth many listens.

-Eddie Fournier

Track Listing:

1. Always A Comedian
2. Empty Bottle Evening
3. Premeditated Redrum
4. Consumed By Television Sets
5. Where Will I Sleep Tonight
6. Read Em And Weep

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