Category:
Rock / Punk

Try if you like:
Blood Brothers, Dance Disaster Movement, Waxwing

I'm coming into this review a little naive. These Arms Are Snakes is a band that I have heard a lot about and yet never have I experimented with their music. Their album Easter is legendary but it's Tail Swallower and Dove that marks my first impression of this Seattle-based band. Things go down quite smoothly, enjoying most of the tracks on the 10 track album. I wasn't completely sold until I made it to the groove-ladened "Lucifer". That track made up for a lot of the bands weaker points. I found this album to be very dynamic. Most of the songs are quite aggressive but they seem to lay back on a few moments making the ride even more enjoyable. "Briggs" is one of the best post-hardcore songs ever written. And yes, this is an album in every sense. It feels like one song can't co-exist without the others. This is a worthy trait in a time of digital singles. Some songs feel like they are going to fall apart just before the band pulls it together. Some of the tracks are so straight forward including the pummeling "Prince Squid".

There are some huge similarities to post-hardcore bands like Fugazi, At The Drive-in and Drive Like Jehu. If you like bands like that, definitely get Tail Swallower and Dove. I think it's a wonderful album. I'll be checking out their past material now as well.