The Blood Brothers - Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck EP

First off, do not fear. You ravenous fans of Seattle's Blood Brothers needn't worry about the band having a severe shift in style. I felt the need to state this up front, lest I become the target of more wrath than a union strike at the factory that makes the white belts. I use the word ravenous because fans of the Blood Brothers are typically intense fans of the Blood Brothers. This release, Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Wreck, is a collection of b-sides and rarities. These songs are certain to do anything but disappoint the fans, but, all in all, this release is better suited for completists than new fans or those who just flirt with fandom. Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck, while not their strongest release, can be granted some concessions. Think of it as a means to whet the fan's appetite in preparation for the main course, the upcoming full-length Young Machetes. Altogether, the album lacks a bit of the luster of the previous releases, most notably: Burn Piano Island, Burn. The interplay between dual-vocalists Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie, as always, is the most important facet of the Blood Brothers' music. Jordan's voice tends to lean towards the subdued calm one would expect from a man on the verge of screaming, meanwhile, Johnny Whitney's voice elevates further and further skyward. It leaves Whitney sounding, at most times, like Joanna Newsom in the throes of a crack-fueled freak-out. This EP, a glorified single, launches with the title track which was featured on their last full-length, Crimes. The bass lines and guitar melodies on the title track seem to be distanced from Johnny and Jordan and the end-effect is an atmospheric song that leaves the listener open to the distorted stop-start blitzkrieg of the song's bridge. The stand-out tracks as I see them are: "Love Rhymes With Dangerous Car Wreck", the third song, "Metronomes" (Although I must mention I am a bit put off by how far out of tune Whitney and Blilie are on the chorus), and the Brothers' remix of Gang of Four's "Anthrax." For the remix, the drums are hyped, pounding like a steamroller in a music store. At first the feedback and drum intro seems a little daunting, until you remember that Gang of Four introduced the song that way originally, albeit with much less vitriol. The included live version of "Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck" serves to highlight the venue where the Blood Brothers really shine... in front of a mass of sweaty, writhing, young adults. In summation, this EP is a mid-day snack to tide you over until Young Machetes is released. This is not for everyone, I would recommend it only to the biggest fans of Blood Brothers. [www.thebloodbrothers.com]