Desert City Soundtrack - Contents of Distraction

Any band that "first appeared on Emo Diaries No. 6" instantly is going to create some skepticism to me. I mean who doesn't hate the word Emo these days? Yet somewhere along the line, the definition of emo went from describing hardcore bands with a sense of melody to describing whiny songwriters who saw the marketability in crooning about last's years lost love. Fortunately for my ears, the type of emo described for Desert City Soundtrack is more along the original definition than the pasturized MTV type. This doesn't mean that the vocals are predictably cracked or screaming and just a tiny bit over the top, but it means it carries an emotional force with it that's hard to ignore. It also means the lyrics are overall indecipherable unless you're sitting there with a lyric sheet (which fortunately you can do over at the Deep Elm site). Musically the album definetly carries a dark feel to it but it's pulled off with driving keyboard, some subtle guitar work, and the ever constant driving drum beat (and the occasional trumpet solo.. nice touch). The musicianship is excellent, and the band is quite tight in their playing - no doubt there. When I read this described as "a pandora's box of content, consequence, and unprecendented musical theater" I laughed, because hey.. that's an intense description. But it does have a bit of truth to it. Desert City Soundtrack don't appear to the standard fair of hardcore emo bands - very little reliance on intricate guitar parts or super speedy noodling to grab your attention. Contents of Distraction is a pretty tongue-in-cheek title for an album that requires your attention to really grasp all of what is going on. [www.desertcitysoundtrack.com]