Gatsby’s American Dream – Ribbons & Sugar

Gatsby’s American Dream – Ribbons & Sugar / 2003 / Rocketstar Recordings / 11 Tracks / http://www.gatsbyamericandream.com / http://www.rocketstar.com /

I like this band because they do not feel content with rehashing the same general sound over and over. Each track is a tabula rasa, a fresh canvas, something new for them to write on. And unlike many of the bands who embrace a number of styles, Gatsby’s American Dream actually pulls them off. “A Manifesto of Tangible Wealth”, with an organ/keyboard not unlike that of “House of a Rising Sun” or at times, any Rush sound, actually has a larger relevance with the two vocals telling the downfalls of consumerist society. “Snicker at the Swine” has the perfect At the Drive-In style guitars to match up with the equally intelligent commentary on capitalism. “Apparition” is the first stop at the typical emo-lyric trough with words about broken homes and love’s losses. Again showing off their admiration for 70’s rock gods, Gatsby’s American Dream seemlessly fuses the opening to “Don’t Fear the Reaper” to traditional post-hardcore emo (with Saves the Day-style lyrics at this go). What started out as such a ground-breaking album starts missing some cylinders by the end of the disc, again going to the same watering hole of popular emo music. By the last track, “Counterfeit Language”, Gatsby’s American Dream has went from all-genre powerhouse into just using blips of different styles to try to refresh the music (which is now purely being lead by the golden vocals of GAD’s singer, music that would be simply be lost in the seas of other bands that do this same schtick.

Top Track : A Manifesto of Tangible Wealth.

Rating : 5.8/10