Before BrailleJason Kundrath, CMJIf California's Vagrant lays claim to the finest roster of hook-laden emo-core and D.C.'s Dischord has a stronghold on the cutting edge of angular post-hardcore, it kinda makes sense that the two sounds would meet somewhere in the middle on Arizona's Aezra label, where a band called Before Braille brews its own unique blend of rock for the new millennium. Seething with salt, sweat , honey and asphalt (not unlike seasoned AZ contemporaries Jimmy Eat World), this foursome delivers a positively commanding performance that betrays its relatively recent appearance on the radar. Each track on this sampler of songs from the upcoming full-length is brimming with texture and taste. Like Get Up Kids without the sentimentality or Fugazi with an eye toward the mainstream, Before Braille deftly delivers the best elements of both sonic camps. In one convenient package, you get not only a highly melodic, pop sensibility but also a challenging rhythmic stutter that keeps the whole affair from ever getting stale. Back to the Press page |