Crime in Stereo – I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone
by Kyle Risley (Business), published July 1st 2010
Already known for pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a “hardcore’ band, Crime in Stereo were faced with the task of following up Is Dead, their genre-bending 2007 release. While Is Dead toed the line between melodic hardcore and post-hardcore, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone finds Crime in Stereo dropping the hardcore tag, instead opting for post-hardcore volume and dark, grungy passages. The result is as ambitious as it is indulgent, with Crime in Stereo striking out just as often as they strike gold.
I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone stumbles out of the gate with the slow-burner “Que Moderns,” which does little except to set up the main themes of the album: dependence and Orwellian paranoia. ‘Exit Halo’ sounds like a throwaway Brand New song from the Daisy sessions (and I swear Jesse Lacey must have laid down vocals for the chorus), its experiments with piles of feedback falling flat. ‘Odalisque’ dissolves into a cringe inducing alt-metal chorus after a promising sweep-picked introduction. With that said, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone still has some gems that are sure to become staples amongst Crime in Stereo fans. ‘Not Dead’ is an immediate highlight, featuring crunchy guitars, a searing vocal performance, and one of the catchiest melodies Crime in Stereo has written. And although the band does best when they stick to their bread and butter, not all of their experiments were failures. ‘Young’ shifts from tranquil to frantic and then into gang vocals over jangly guitars to form one of the album’s best deep tracks. ‘I Am Everything I Am Not’ and ‘I Cannot Answer You Tonight’ round out the record on strong footing with Kristian Hallbert’s voice as sincere and heartfelt as ever. ‘You’re not who I thought you’d be. It’s okay, come back to me. I’m not who I thought I’d be’ are delivered with a palpable desperation that leaves the listener struck as the song fades out.
Under the weight of its ambition, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone lags a little too often, but still manages to provide an interesting and rewarding listening experience. With guitarist Alex Dunne still crafting instantly memorable guitar riffs and Hallbert’s commanding delivery, Crime in Stereo still have the tools to deliver a great album, they just need to tighten the lenses a bit.
Recommended Tracks: Not Dead, Young, I Cannot Answer You Tonight
Rating: 3.0/5
Tracklist
About Crime In Stereo
Crime In Stereo Is Dead (2002-2010) “It was a strange year,” says Alex Dunne, Crime in Stereo’s songwriter and guitarist. This is in reference to the twelve months between the 2006 release of their critically acclaimed The Troubled Stateside and the beginning of recording "Crime in Stereo Is Dead." “Strange” might be an understatement. Crime in Stereo (Dunne, singer Kristian Hallbert, bassist Mike Musilli, drummer Scotty Giffin and guitarist Gary Cioni) thought they had seen the end of the road.