The Scene Aesthetic

A Type & A Shadow

Written by: DR on 11/08/2009 19:46:57

Sometimes a band's name will tell you everything you need to know about that band, and if I said The Scene Aesthetic were not one of those bands my pants would instantly be engulfed in flames. Everything about The Scene Aesthetic is aimed at the Myspace generation, and I cannot imagine anyone other than those teenage girls with Myspace names such as 'hannahHARDCORE' and 100 albums of those brilliantly original mirror-self-shots being honest about actually liking this band.

Armed with a dual vocal approach, cringe-worthy lyrics and an acoustic guitar, these pair are set on winning the heart of every female in the world (wide web) with their average and uninspiring summery tracks. It's only natural that with two singers that one will be better than the other, the main variable however, is how much greater. Vocalist Eric Bowley does not have a particularly great range, nor is there anything remarkably special about his voice, but when compared to that annoying, whiny, Jonas Brother-esque voice of guitarist/vocalist Andrew de Torres, well, suffice to say that you'll be grateful for every syllable the former sings, purely because he's not the later.

Furthermore, it is embarrassing to think that two fully-grown men can craft such lyrics as "So I wrote you this song, I hope that you like it 'cause you light up my life and I know you can fight this. You're the most beautiful girl in the world, and I wanted you to know" from "Humans" and this gem from "Red Rover": "You're not alone, confide in me for anything your heart may need. I am always here for you" . Though there is hope in the form of the rare decent line, like this from "Come What May": "All this time I've spent without you by my side, I dreamt about you, saw you through the windows in my mind, carved a home for you deep down inside my chest and I never want to lose such a big part of me again.". Though I guess one could make the argument that even in the biggest field of shit, a piece of tin foil shines like the starry night sky.

At least two songs here warrant the 'repeat' button, and on those songs they get the 'we want to make your heart melt' formula oh-so right, but for the rest, there's little hope, in the eyes of us men at least. Bound to sell out show after show after show to girls though. Like the music snob I am, I will forever protest that this is poor, an 'insult' the acoustic guitar; but when home alone, I may just lock myself in my room, lodge in earphones tightly and put on "A Type & A Shadow" and sing and tap my foot along with all the saccharine clichés.

Download: Grace Looks Back, Come What May
For Fans of: Nevershoutnever, This Providence, 'Myspace bands'
Listen: Myspace

Release date 14.07.2009
DW Records

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