Pianos Become The Teeth
Old Pride
Topshelf; 2010
In the early to middle part of last decade, I listened to various forms of third-wave emo almost exclusively. Records like Full Collapse by Thursday, The Illusion Of Safety and The Artist In The Ambulance by Thrice, and The Changing of Times by Underoath each spent significant amount of time in my car stereo. I was enamored with these acts because of their ability to vent their thoughts with such depth, power, and emotional resonance, a trait that I most assuredly lacked in my own life. Eventually, whether you describe it as me growing up, growing tired of how the genre was marketed, or growing to prefer how Morrissey sang about his feelings, I left behind most versions of melodic/post-hardcore (often described and/or derided as screamo) for different musical pastures.
So, when I gave Old Pride, the debut LP from Pianos Become The Teeth, a few listens, I was quickly transported back to a very special time in my life. Sure, those years often quite frustrating and challenging, but it was also often quite sublime and supremely jam-packed with all sorts of excellent memories, especially in terms of going to shows and talking about great music with great friends. Thankfully for me, this young Maryland quintet has put together an eight-song record bursting at the seams with vintage screamo sounds – i.e. stirring anthems and passionate vocals are the order of the day, and there aren’t any Hot Topic / My Chemical Romance clichés to be heard.
Kyle Durfey screams, moans, and wails as if a banshee is chasing him down a darkened alley. The guitars of Mike York and Chad McDonald belt out dark, crunchy power chords that turn into soaring waves of reverb at only the choicest of moments. And the powerful rhythm section of Zac Sewell on bass and David Haik on drums sets itself apart by not leaning in either a post-punk or metal direction – it’s classic, straight-to-the-point post-hardcore that’s moshpit and breakdown ready. The band is at its best when the music is taut, tense, and driving – aka when things are shorter and punchier. Cuts like “Quit Benefit” and “Sleepshaker” serve as examples of the group’s ability to construct sturdy arrangements and rocking tunes.
Yet, like a great many screamo outfits, the longer, larger, and more epic things become (take “Pensive” and “Cripples Can’t Shiver” for example), the overall sound becomes more bloated and histrionic. Moreover, even though I appreciate the trip down memory lane that these songs take me on, I’m just not sure that this style of music is ultimately that sustainable.
Old Pride, despite its courageous attempt to breathe new life into an oft-maligned genre, simply feels too dated and uncomfortably familiar at this juncture. Maybe in a few years, after we’ve let hot, hipster micro-trends like glo-fi and chillwave run their course, people will be eager to give screamo a fresh listen. And I’ll be right there, ready to let my inner twenty-something out to play alongside the music of Pianos Become The Teeth.