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Album Details

• Artist: Desert City Soundtrack
• Album: Funeral Car
• Label: Deep Elm
• Year of Release: 2003
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2003-12-30

Desert City Soundtrack, Motion City Soundtrack, there's a lot of soundtracks coming out from bands these days. Well, these two are completely different. Desert City Soundtrack is the City Soundtrack in question here. This Portland based band is a bit of an anomaly. I really want to lump them in with the emo crew but there is more to this band, and especially this album than a simple emo band is capable of. The key behind Desert City Soundtrack's sound is that the piano is the key instrument. Yeah, this has been used by people like Ben Folds before in a great rock setting but now think of the emotive piano in a post-punk/emo setting and you may have some difficulties processing. The band doesn't get quite as aggressive as they did on their debut ep but it does happen, and when it does, you best be standing back so you don't get hit from the shrapnel. But the boys seem to be at home with tracks like "Casket" that waver gentle but never really hit like the crushingly heavy tracks like "Drawn And Quarted". The piano gets a little old after a few listens. I think this is because the piano lines seem very similar in all of the tracks. But you have to give Desert City Soundtrack credit for trying something new. This is one of the more creative releases and a great full-length debut. We'll have to see how the threesome do after playing these songs on the road. I'll be watching out for them. They are onto something, now it's up to them to perfect the balance between mellow and heavy.

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