Bad Secrets

Evan Patterson of The National Acrobat/Black Widows/Breather Resist/Young Widows fame returns with his new side project with Dan Davis of Kodan Armada, Bad Secrets. This 9" record was just released on Robotic Empire.

Similar to the work Evan has been churning out with Young Widows, but with a much more stripped down approach. Using only drums, guitars and vocals, the duo blends elements of drone, country, shoegaze and post-punk/hardcore on this record and recorded the whole thing on a four track cassette, which adds to the lo-fi aesthetic elements of this record.

I find this record to function well as both background music and something to attentively listen to.

Decide for yourself.

*Dudes got mad, link removed*

buy / listen

Favorite Track: Lay Down

Rating: 7 Out Of 10

Young Widows

Running with my obvious National Acrobat obsession, I figured it would be relevant to post the most recent spawn of the once great titan. Young Widows is a continuation of Breather Resist, but pushes the envelope a bit further and brings a bit more home to the south. Combining the heavy/mathy sound they are known for with the addition of long droney, repetitive verses and more effects driven, almost doomy choruses with a bit of a bluesy/country feel.

Making things more interesting is guitarist Evan Patterson approach to playing on 'Settle Down City'. He takes a bit more of a minimalist approach, leaving drums and bass to drive most of the rhythm of the songs. Patterson only adds in melodic and dissonant accents to reinforce the riff and brings a bit originality to the table with use of a slide.

You might expect a lot of screaming on a project like this, but Evan also steps to the plate to fill in on vocals on the Widows debut Jade Tree release. Running with the bluesy feel of the record, Patterson sings in a laid back almost talking style to contrast the heavy, riffy parts which meander in and out of each track.

Upon first 'glance over' listen, I was completely unimpressed with record, but on my second 'closer' listen I was really impressed with the originality of this album. So, as a recommendation, give this record a solid 2 listens before passing judgement.

dl

Favorite Track: Mirrorfucker

Rating: 7 Out Of 10

The National Acrobat

Although The National Acrobat hold historical status within the music scene of their hometown Louisville, KY, they are largely unappreciated by hardcore kids who have been unknowningly ripping off their style for years. I can't really even begin to describe how good this record is and give it the proper credit it deserves, because it really was so far ahead of its time. I can say this though, can the band that spawned Coliseum, Young Widows, Black Cross and Breather Resist be bad?

dl

Favorite Track: Eyes The Size Of Organs

Rating: 9 Out Of 10