akissforjersey

Victims

Written by: TL on 23/06/2008 13:43:28

Ah yes, where to start with akissforjersey. I\'ve fallen flat on my face for \"You Carried Me While We Buried You\" from their debut \"Keep Your Head Above Water\". Even if it is, for all I can figure out anyway, about Jesus, it\'s still one of the songs I can have on repeat the longest without getting tired of it. Thus, it was not without some high hope that I got my hands on the sophomore \"Victims\", eager to find out if the band is now able to more consistently fulfill their potential.

Sonically, the answer to my question is an almost thundering yes. I recently praised Jamie\'s Elsewhere for administering the screamo formula in a superior manner, however, akissforjersey blows them right out of the water. The only record I can remember having as successfully mixed the epically beautiful with the slammingly heavy, is Emery\'s \"The Weak\'s End\", and for the first half of Victims, the contrastful expression is stunning - And it doesn\'t deduct anything from the equation that frontman Zach Dawson, aside from crying out some of the best of high pitch vocals, also has a technical depth that most screamo singers lack.

In fact, Victims would probably be one hell of a pleasurable listen if it wasn\'t for the controversy presented by its lyrical content. akissforjersey are Christian with a captical C and if you thought Underoath could be preachy, then you\'re in for a sermon of proportions. At times I for one feel a chill run down my spine faced with the borderline fanatical conviction that flows thick from the songs. For anyone who likes to identify with their music, the self-righteousness is likely to be a sizable obstacle to get around before it\'s possible to appreciate Victims. Fortunately, while \"Devices\" and \"Oh, Infamous City\" manifest this hurdle in the albums opening, \"The Fire\" and \"Parallels\" seem less eager to condemn us all, and effectively provide a more appealing listen.

This all makes Victims one hell of a controversial albums, bound to polarise fans and critics alike. Personally I\'m ambivalent as well, my attraction to controversy combating my disgust for religious fanaticism for the right to redeem or condemn this album. Musically speaking, I can restrict the record from the top grades, seeing how the latter half of it contains a few songs like \"Faces\" that aren\'t immediately as strong as the earlier ones. When it comes to taking the overall feel of the album into consideration, my solution comes in remembering that, even when the content of this album gets in the face of my principles the most, it still provokes my thoughts and feelings and constantly makes me feel like either listening to it again, or throwing it out the window. In my opinion, that does not sound like a bad property for a rock\'n\'roll album.

8

Download: Believe, The Fire, Parallels
For The Fans Of: Emery, Underoath, Saosin, Oh Sleeper
Listen: myspace.com/akissforjersey

Release Date 06.05.2008
Tragic Hero Records

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