The Braille Tapes – Chapter Four: Robot Meat is Murder
Two words: holy shit. I’m a discerning listener, I’m pretty much a snob, albeit an open minded one. I like to think I’m pretty knowledgeable of music. That said, after relocating here 13 years ago, I’m still getting to know Bellingham’s bands and the music scene in general. I’ve come away extremely impressed with this Braille Tapes record. Robot Meat is Murder is an incredible concept record from the intro “Modern Life” to the awesomeness of “Modern Life 1.” This album is everything I look for in “punk rock,” i.e. true independent music. All songs are tight arrangements steeped in healthy doses of unpretentious post-rock and lots of melody.
I love that the vocals are all shouted as opposed to screamed. The passion in the delivery is palpable and full of confidence. The lead vocals are frequently doubled and add to the overall aesthetic for the listener. The lyrics stick to the theme wonderfully. The theme of robots and artificial life is unfortunately all too real in these detached and bleak times, the lyrics reflect that throughout the album. Familiar refrains and phrases get repeated often, much like you would expect a robot would do, but without ever becoming monotonous (which I feel was intentional). The lyrics are usually kept short and to the point. The band also seems very mindful of letting the music have its own space, allowing the listener to absorb everything that is offered.
The recording must be commended for its crisp and full sound. It’s fantastic. The guitars are gritty but succinct; the bass is rolling and the drums snap but w/ lots of body to their sound. The vocals are placed perfectly in the mix. This is thankfully anything but lo-fi.
While listening to this I wondered who this album reminded me of and eventually I came to a conclusion. This album sounds like Braille Tapes. They didn’t reinvent any wheel, they just made the wheel sound like it was theirs.
I’d recommend this record to anyone who enjoys intelligent, melodic and original rock. I’ve heard A LOT of records coming out of B’ham in the last 25 years and this is surely in the top 5 or 10 that I’ve heard. My biggest beef is they just played their last show ever a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t get to see it. At the very least, I have an amazing record to immerse myself in.
Self Released
myspace.com/thebrailletapes
