This is a tough review. Not because the music is bad, nor because I dislike the band. It is because this album came out well over a year ago and was on the top of every critics list last year as a “top ten” or “must have” so the wording gets a little sticky in that I don’t want to say what has already been said or make the obvious mundane comparisons that flood the review landscape.
Source Tags and Codes is a unique endeavor from this Austin, Texas quartet who made quite the splash last year at SXSW and on M2. Hard rocking guitars, driving bass and drums, vocals that remind me of The Church back in the day. I find tracks like How Near How Far and the title cut Source Tags and Codes as standouts but you might feel differently as that is okay in my book. I can’t compare this to anything I have heard because it sounds like nothing I have heard before. It’s this musical landscape of sounds that transcends beyond the norm and has the heavy layered punch to elevate the tunes even when played at the lowest possible decibel.
Without sounding trite, you probably have heard about …trail of dead already or might even own this CD. If not, Google it up on the net and read up, all the reviews are ace! If you are looking for some new sounds, new ideas, something badass but not so commercial, try Source Tags and Codes. Don’t be fooled by the fact it is released on Interscope, they have some good ones every so often.
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