I
was dreading writing this one, because initially the problem was that I want to
like them, and I couldn’t point to anything specifically wrong with them, so it
felt like I was going into a faint praise situation, and I’d at least like to
be passionate. I think I have more of a finger on it now, though. That’s why I
always try and go through every song at least three times.
My
initial impression of The Breakdown is that they just weren’t deep enough. I
believe they followed me on Twitter at a time when I was reading a lot about
360 deals and label interference, and so that may have prejudiced me, but what
I remember feeling was that they started working with people too soon. I can’t
even confirm that they are working with someone. They recently did a
Kickstarter to get back into the studio, though that could just mean that they
no longer have backing.
They
do have several videos on Youtube, both music and of them doing other
activities, and I may have picked up that idea from the behind the scenes video
for “Count to Ten”, that there was some funding and some direction. That’s not
necessarily bad, but it is a remarkably generic video. It’s shot well enough,
but with no imagination; there is an actress, but she doesn’t do much; and so
the main innovation is different color filters. Maybe the song is not terribly
imaginative, but I have to believe that if you think it’s worth doing a video
you can find something.
And
maybe the problem is that the songs are too generic, but there are roots with
meaning in there. The songs I recommend most are “How Can You Say You Loved
Me”, which has a different tempo and stripped down feel, and “A Way to Say
Goodbye”, which has some real sentiment and sincerity. Those songs are starting
to differentiate. There is something they can grow from there.
Anyway,
that was just the impression that I get, which immediately made me listen to
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. That’s the difference see.
In
many ways it reminds me of Sunderland: you’re kids, which is fine. Now go live
in a cramped van for two months and play little holes, or play parties while
holding down mind-numbing jobs, or go build houses in Mexico or work with
troubled teens. Earn the videos!
Anyway,
I was left with these old impressions and not much to say, and today it hit me
with two of the songs: “Friend Zone” and “Paranoid Bipolar Schizophrenic”. It
probably helped that they played together.
“Friend
Zone” was kind of a dumb term to start with, now really overused, that suffers
from association with the triope of girls ignoring nice guys in favor of bad
boys, when generally the ones who complain about that are not quite as nice as
they think they are. So, if you are in the friend zone, there may be some valid
reasons, even if it is merely a lack of commitment in your affection. You could
probably still write a funny song about it.
Mental
illness, on the other hand, is heartbreaking and can be really crippling. A lot
of teens have one or more of those issues, and there are teens who are really
worried that it is coming on, and it’s a serious thing.
I
guess my problem is that the two songs sounded too much alike. Bands vary in
seriousness all the time. That’s not a problem. Many bands have a distinctive
sound, where you can always tell that it’s them, and sometimes that’s a bad
thing and sometimes it’s fine. I still feel that in this case, songs on these
two subjects should not sound this indistinguishable. They try to make the
words fit, but ultimately they are still generic, which has me not caring about
the one and offended by the other.
They
are cute kids, and from a performance point of view they are fine, but I think
they need deeper roots if they are really going to reach their potential.
http://thebreakdown.bigcartel.com/
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