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Latterman

...We Are Still Alive

Written by: PP on 31/08/2006 17:56:52

Boys and girls, welcome to how small bands sounded like in mid 90s when self-production tools were rare and too expensive for a small band to buy, fretting was clearly audible on the final product, the songs were honest and touching, and it seemed unlikely money could ever to be made with punk rock. So the bands focused on making the music they love instead of writing albums full of fillers and overproduced, soulless garbage which seems to be the trend today. The sound of Latterman is not too distant from the late 90s Hot Water Music, one of the most underrated bands in modern history, where soared, melodic vocals float on top of the melodic leads and the scratchy, unproduced, bass-lines are imperative in giving the band their unique character reflecting heart, soul and passionate love for the music and not the money. This is a much needed break in a period where bands are increasingly overproducing their records and trade their identity in the process for mainstream attention (see Over It, New Found Glory, Yellowcard).

It's incredibly rare that the most memorable chunks of an album are the bass-lines, but thanks to the next to perfect sound levels on "...We Are Still ALive", the bass portions in songs like "Will This Be On The Test?" are the ones that make you shiver over their raw beauty. The overly melodic leads have had their edges smoothed out leaving much breathing space for the bass and the unrefined vocal work to shine and captivate you.

Throughout the album sparkles a feel of completion, how the songs each have their own identity but yet sound the same, how they work together oh-so perfectly to create 'that Latterman sound' that has been discussed across the net with much adoration and dedicated love. Essentially, that's exactly what the album does: it dedicates itself to the music instead of the sales and comes across as an indescribably honest effort. The only problem I can foresee with the album is that it requires attention, because although the melodies are often easy to notice, they are demanding and don't fall into the 'play me on MTV and hum along the riffs' category at all. Over the long run it can be tiring, but the way I see it, you will rediscover Latterman in a few years time as your favorite band you never got around to playing too much back then.

Download: "Good Morning, Here Is Jan", "We Work The Night Shift"
For the fans of: Hot Water Music, Against Me!, Bear Vs Shark
Listen: Many MP3s at Deep Elm

Release date 25.07.2006
Deep Elm