Touche Amore / La Dispute

Searching For A Pulse / The Worth of The World

Written by: DR on 04/08/2010 23:44:41

In a little over 18 minutes, Touche Amore made their mark on the whole "skramz" thing with their debut "...To The Beat Of A Dead Horse", which was met with incredibly positive reviews and spots on multiple "Album of the Year" lists. La Dispute, with their debut "Somewhere...", made their mark on this reviewer in particular, though plenty of others were similarly impressed. It's surely to nobody's surprise that the popularity of both bands is starting to snowball, because, well, they are both awesome, and what do you get when two awesome bands decide to collaborate...?

That's right, more awesomeness!

It would seem each band has taken cues from the other, and not just because they do guest-vocals on each other's tracks. Touche Amore have allowed melody a greater reign in "I'll Deserve Just That", a-la La Dipsute; where we have come to expect sheer aggression, vocalist Jeremy Bolm holds back his characteristic angst-charged cries ever so slightly to compensate for more prolonged build ups, which initially appears to hinder their typical high-tempo in-your-face approach on first listen. Fans might not take to this immediately as it is slightly alien, however, upon repeats it becomes clear: with Bolm's vocals slowed down they will therefore become more perceptible, instead channelling your affections towards his well-crafted and pertinent lyrics: This nobody doesn't need anybody / this body would rather be left alone / this nobody doesn't deserve anybody / it's becoming clearer as it goes". He actually overlaps vocals with Jordan Dreyer (La Dispute) for those lines, but the point still stands: who hasn't felt like that at one time or another?

I suppose your mouth is watering at the prospect of Touche Amore-influenced La Dispute? It should be. You can kiss goodbye to the La Dispute as you once loved them. "Whinecore", as Neema, one of our most faithful readers, hailed them, could not be further from the truth... for one track at least - "How I Feel". Frontman Dreyer became renowned for his (brilliant) lyrics centred around love and the pain that comes with it, and he served them through wails, mewls and whines. Based on their LP, one might - with good reason - guess Dreyer is feeling hurt, insecure, heartbroken. I did... until a few seconds after the guitar started when Dreyer comes roaring in, and he's never sounded so pissed off! And he's driving the music forward with such intensity now. His screams actually sound like screams! There's an edge to him, an intent, like a man... ah, screw it, just read his lyrics and realise for yourself whilst marvelling at his flair:

"I guess you understand, man. We had no chance.

I'm tired of fighting with the hand I've been dealt.

So, I take the cards they give me

and keep my protest on the inside of my mouth.

If the best I can do ain't gonna stop what's coming,

what's the point in trying to change how the hand plays out?

Don't we all just die?

When you looked at the light

Did it hurt your eyes?

When you looked at the light

Did it hurt you

Like it hurt me?"

It's not as if both bands have ignored who they are, though. "I'll Get My Just Deserve" is a Touche Amore track through and through, despite a Dreyer cameo. It clocks in at 1 minute and 34 seconds, with not a single second spared TA's hallmark ferocity. The final track is "Why It Scares Me", and it's a fitting end because it's probably the best song here, as La Dispute, led by the now pained-again Dreyer, sounds as emotionally-charged and vulnerable as I can ever recall - and that's when they are really at their very best. "Have I been taking my emotional cues from a script I wrote at sixteen?".

"Searching For A Pulse/The Worth Of The World" only lasts a mere nine-minutes, which is the only drawback, yet they waste no time in adding credence to that old cliche "quality over quantity", and also demonstrating why, if you haven't been already, you need to be listening to both bands. They are each leaving their own unique stamp on the music scene, and they are only going to get bigger and better.

9

Download: I'll Get My Just Deserve, I'll Deserve Just That, How It Feels, Why It Scares Me. (Holy shit, I just named every song!)
For The Fans of: La Dispute, Touche Amore, Warship, Native
Listen: La Dispute Myspace / Touche Amore Myspace

Release Date 27.07.2010
No Sleep Records

La Dispute Player:

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