Review Summary: A good first effort marred by lackluster vocals.
You know what I hate? Pretentiousness. Like when you see some brain stinted clown with his ‘ba-doof ba-doof’ bass system set so loud it oscillates the pavement, and when you lock eyes with the miscreant, you can tell he thinks he’s inherited some sort of godhood. Or those double faced people who act friendly and kind to you in a social setting but wouldn’t give you the time of day when there’s no one around to see it. Or when …
OK, that list is possibly interminable. However, as much as I despise false personas in everyday life, when applied to music it’s unbearable. While some might enjoy the overblown theatrical wankery of artists like My Chemical Romance and Lady Gaga, it simply makes me cringe. Good music (arguably, I suppose) doesn’t require a bombastic theme or over-the-top meat woven garments (besides, wouldn’t that start to decompose eventually?). Stripped of showmanship and pretence, the talent of the performer/s should ring in clearly. Some musicians are definitely accomplished despite their marketing eccentricities, but for me it takes focus off of what should really matter.
These Branches are unequivocally resistant to the attention whoring demographic of music. A humble two-piece (four-piece at the time of recording) punk-rock band, one cannot deny their devotion and fervent ardour for playing the music they love. They are entirely wrapped up in what they do; they do their own recording, book their own shows and screenprint t-shirts. The physical covers for their EP
Blank Pages and Blank Faces were individually hand painted and followed a branch theme where no two albums were identical. They don’t even care if you pay for this album. They just want you to hear it.
That same passion reverberates through
This One’s On You. Lively guitars, like any good punk-rock record, permeate every song. There’s nothing adventurous or experimental happening here, but they are consistent and capture the high energy spirit of the genre. Songs “Thrillher”, “Virgin Versions” and “For the Sake of Song” are some standout instances of excellent punk-rock jamming. The drumming leads with authority and show that even for this fledging band, they know the sound they want to produce and they seize it by the crotch.
Unfortunately, the singing isn’t nearly of the same quality as the instrumentalism. Nick Hertzberg’s vocals range from distractingly awful to mildly amusing with interspersed moments of coherency. “Anatomyne” absorbs most of the competent singing on the album, but in the rest of the tracks it’s parcelled out in such small portions as to make it inconsequential. Much of the vocal work is throaty shouting, but when Hertzberg tries to sing-shout, that’s when it all collapses on itself. There are times that elicit a chuckle simply because it’s so bad it’s enjoyable.
There are some shining moments, which really unveils how good These Branches would sound if they only had a skilled vocalist. The unsightly rough edges of Hertzberg’s voice are often unnoticed when backing vocals provided by Bryan Bastise harmonise with his. The occasional well executed phrase, such as the “Ladybird!/Haven’t you heard?” in “Virgin Versions” actually shows promise for Nick’s singing if he practiced his pipes a little more. Otherwise, it’s a real pity, because the unrefined vocals put a sizeable dent into an otherwise solid release.
However, I’m inclined to give These Branches the benefit of the doubt.
This One’s On You is definitely an inaccurate title since so much of these guys’ obvious time, effort and energy has been poured liberally into the release, and they brim with honest, undiluted enthusiasm for the music they make. The entire album is available for purchase for as much or as little as you want, including nothing if you’re a stingy, unsupportive prick. Plus, for a band with no record label, no professional recording and no current rhythm section (the bass and drum players left before the completion of the album), they sound pretty damn good.
So here’s to These Branches. While
This One’s On You isn’t imaginative, original or well sung, it exposes a zealous, energetic band and the desire to be simple and upfront about their music. Improve your voice, Nick, and keep the dream alive.
