SCRAPS OF TAPE

This is definitely a change from their previous album. You got to hand it to them, they didn't made a remake of their previous albums like some post-rock bands do ever so often. But the problem isn't trying to sound like their previous album, is sounding like other post-rock bands. This really isn't a problem if you like clean and simple post-rock that tickles yer fancy, but the debut had a personality that set it apart from other bands. Nonetheless there's still great music to check out on this album.

The music on this album is nice to listen to. It has many things enjoyable from the genre. They still have that great sense of melody they had back then in their debut and it sounds great without the lightning fast switch of dynamics. The best song on the album is "How Your Heart Gets Thrown" in which they channel all of the energy they didn't used in the first 4 songs to this one, so you know that you'll get a "wham!" from the first seconds of the album until the end. The vocals on this song is very eloquent and they add to the angry mood of the song. Luckily the album picks up some steam after that song and some of the songs feature interesting and even quirky brass sections like in "Vibrancy" and the end of " Since All The Birds Are Moving, Shouldn't We " which sounds very out of place in the album, but still good to now they don't take themselves very seriously. The same intensity of their debut is still present here as well and its there in most of the time (except for the first 4 songs). The singing is also better than in their debut and they have more songs with vocals too (my favorite being "Thirteenthousand").

While still not as memorable as their debut, this is still a great album to listen to. If you didn't enjoy the quick changes in dynamic of their first album then you'll enjoy this one more since it flows nicer and it still packs a punch ( it has more heavier moments than softer, but never menacing like, say, Russian Circle), but less unpredictable. They certainly polished out the edges on this one so it may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your taste. Personally I enjoy their debut more so that's why I'm giving it a lower rating.

Hey you! Yes! You! Do you like post-rock but you're sick of waiting for climaxes? Do you feel like the crescendos of your favorite bands are too long and they never seem to end? Sick of 20 minutes songs with only 2 minutes worth of good music? Do you?! Then step right up because I have a surprise for you. It's called Scraps Of Tape and these guys are tired of it too. (Hey! that rhymed)

A very interesting and fun band this is. Scraps Of Tape, while still being a post-rock band with a certain Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky influences (in other words: "guitar oriented post-rock") they certainly don't follow their modus operandi (soft / crescendo / climax, rinse and repeat). These guys are like a bomb without a timer, a jack-in-a-box without the music, a truly passive / aggressive personality. Scraps Of Tape isn't a fan of crescendos, but they sure are a fan of climaxes and they try to crank up the volume up to 12 when they do, but when do they do it? Well, that's the interesting part of this band, you'll never know when the climaxes will happen and they don't keep you waiting for long either. They manage to go from melodically soft and humble to hell unleashing fury from one second to another (while still maintaining a great sense of melody) and it will definitely take you by surprise the first, second and third time you listen to them. In the middle of all of these frantic songs there are acoustic untitled songs that act as breathers along with "Black Scare Tactics" which follows the same acoustic mood and is the only song with vocals to keep you calm for a few minutes before the madness begins yet again.

Scraps Of Tape made a great debut album that left many people talking about them in 2004. If you're getting tired of longs songs and even longer crescendos then Scraps Of Tape's Read Between The Lines At All Times is the cure. While the album looses some steam by the end with too many acoustic songs (they could've spread them more around the album or take some off) this is still a great album that packs alot of punch and melodies that will stay in your head for quite some time.

My rating? around 3.8 and 4, but I'm feeling generous today so 4 stars it is.