Where the lo-fi groups of late have sometimes been accused of obscuring their music sonically in order to hide the fact that the songwriting really isn't there, Angergard knows his way around a hook. "Monday to Saturday" would have fit squarely onto the Juno soundtrack � which I actually mean to be a compliment � with its sunshiney hand claps and singalong melody. Even the most abrasive songs on the album, such as the brutal "Seconds Away" and the title track, are catchy as all hell in a very, very Jesus and Mary Chain kind of way.
My biggest problem with the record is the auto-tuned vocals. You've got this really stripped down, sincere music � a one-man-band that sounds like a one-man-band � but with these robotic, phony vocals that don't sit right on top of the music. "Heartbeats" is particularly T-Pained out, and the vocals really do ruin the whole track. Angergard is certainly not the only indie musician to incorporate this technique into his music � Wolftron for example polluted their record in much the same way � but I swear I'm more disappointed with this one, because had the vocalist gone for an honest, Stephen Malkmus kind of frontman style, this would have been a definite buy-it-now record. As it is, it's really a matter of whether or not you can stomach the vocals. Do you dig Cher?
However I'm going to give The Legends the benefit of the doubt because Angergard really does come through with the songwriting and gives a sonically arresting performance more than a few times. I think that this record will please Joy Division fans who were angered by Interpol's misrepresentation of that style of music, and it'll please Interpol fans who might want to hear a more aggressive, confrontational version of that endlessly nonconfrontational group.
Check 'em Out:
www.myspace.com/heknowsthesun
You Might Like:
Joy Division, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Interpol
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The Legends - Over and Over
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