Artist: Secret Lives of Freemasons
Album: This Was Built to Make You Dance
Label: Astro-Magnetics
Tracks:17

Length: 46:26

 

 

 

 

For all the talk about the blossoming “post-hardcore” scene, very few bands have actually got the “post” part of the phrase down. Thankfully this is not the case with The Secret Lives of Freemasons. This is a band that not only has more talent on their debut album than most indie rock bands show in their entire lifespan, they also are not afraid of naming their band or their album with titles that are entirely to long. Bravo.

On to the music…

What is perhaps the most striking about TSLOF is that they will bite or swing at you one minute and then offer up a melody laden apology with their next breath. The best example of this is “Glazed Over Eyes Never Lie, “if you’re not sold by this song you will be after it. Great song. The title track on the other hand still has some bite but has a sort of hard edged nicety to a lot of it, not at all unlike Anberlin. A lot of these songs come of as borderline schizophrenic, especially vocally, but that’s the beauty of it all because for these guys it works. The guitars, drums, bass, and vocals all lay in perfect harmony, even when they are at their angriest.

I highly recommend this album to anyone that loves the indie rock world but is bored with its weak and whiny delivery. These guys got chops and aren’t afraid to use them. If you would like to hear what Dry Kill Logic and Anberlin might sound like if they joined forces, then “This Was Built To Make You Dance” is for you.