Things Fall Apart – Self/Titled / 2005 Crustacean Records / 7 Tracks / http://www.thingsfallapartmusic.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 28 January 2005

A mixture between hardcore, punk, and emo-rock, Things Fall Apart start their disc with “Shed”. While the mastering is strong for what seems to be a demo EP, the vocal levels are still a little low. The first track on the demo provides for a very cohesive band musically but not much in the way of experimentation. This lack of experimentation means that the longish run-time of “Shed” is only broken up by the progressive metal-esque guitar solo and double-bass that ends the track. Moving through “Poisonwood Bible” befor e one can blink, the same formula that fueled the first two tracks of this demo is re-used to create “Bound by Myth”: a typical emo-screamer mixes with metalhead guitarists and creates a track in which the only things that could be considered hooky are the drums and guitars. Trying to incorporate a double-harmony for their fourth track, “Maquiladoras”, the distortion caused by the guitars and the mediocre recording forces the higher registers of vocals to only come out half-way through the track.

“Maquiladoras’” double-vocal assault is impressive to me in the nearly Against Me!-tenor in which the vocalists of Things Fall Apart register, a sharp turn from the normal fare of this disc. After four tracks, I feel that Things Fall Apart have finally reached their potential, due to the aforementioned double-vocals, a very friendly twin-guitar line, and double-bass in all of the necessary parts. This is the nearest one can get to a work of art on this disc, even if the follow-up track “Inertia” exploits the double-part harmony in a much more punky type of track. There are some other minor issues throughout this disc that I feel need addressing. For examples, some of the solos, especially those during “Inertia” feel ass if they are both canned (that is, they really have no ties to the track at large) and frankly unoriginal (as if I should be listening to them on a Queen album, instead of this disc). Both of these problems essentially boil down to the necessity for a greater collusion among the band members in the creation of music.

There are brief flashes of brilliance during this CD, but they are so mired in a number of non-starting tracks and weak intentions that it is almost impossible to see the worthy amongst the lepers. I would keep an eye on Things Fall Apart, though as they are talented, but have not been able to work up to their potential for an extended length of time.

Top Track: Maquiladoras

Rating: 5.1/10