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Oakland, California quartet The Matches have returned
with their second release Decomposer, following their debut
album E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals from 2004. Their power
punk debut is followed by more power punk entities embellished
by elements of orchestral tones, modern rock, and ska. The album
has an unprecedented nine producers including Tim Armstrong
of Rancid, Mark Hoppus of Blink 182, John
Feldmann of Goldfinger, Nick Hexum of 311,
and Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion and founder of
Epitaph Records. Decomposer is an excellent assortment
of ilks, but has everything that other bands have offered before
them.
Band members Shawn Harris (singer/guitarist), Jon Devoto
(guitarist), Justin San Souci (bassist), and Matt Whalen
(drummer) have the power punk dynamics and mischief of Patent
Pending, the virile energy of Matchbox Romance, and
the modern melodic rock tethers of The Format. The opening
track "Salty Eyes" has a Cursive string structuring
sewn into the modern rock textures. The charging guitar cathodes
and tempo changes on tracks like "Papercut Skin" and
"Didi (My Doe Part 2)" are arranged with animated vocals
that make the songs magnetic and give the listener a rush. The
ska versed rhythms on "What Katie Said" have a semblance
to Less Than Jake and the high powered swirling action
on "Lazier Than Furniture" has a Bouncing Souls'
push.
The Matches incorporate radical movements into the melodies like
squealing rattles in "You (Don't) Know Me" and sharp
chord squeezes in "Little Maggots." Their forms of artistry
embellish their songs with aspects that are familiar to audiences
from the emo-punk rock set. Chords are tensed and stretched to
fluctuate the patterns, but all in all the movements have similarities
to a host of punk rock flag staffs like Finch, The Ataris,
Pennywise, and Guttermouth.
The Matches' music has reflections of the producers who worked
on their album, from the charging drum motions to the guitar imbroglias.
What the Matches do contribute to Decomposer is their brand
of mischief and high energy; otherwise, the album is the straight
punk rock you can find in a number of bands from Vans Warped Tour.
-Susan Frances
Track listing:
1. Salty Eyes
2. Drive
3. Papercut Skin
4. Clumsy Heart
5. Little Maggots
6. What Katie Said
7. Sunburn vs. The Rhinovirus
8. Lazier Than Furniture
9. Didi (My Doe Part 2)
10. You (Don't) Know Me
11. My Soft & Deep
12. Shoot Me In The Smile
13. The Barber's Unhappiness
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