Dead Letter Circus – ‘Reaction’
Dead Letter Circus are one of those lucky bands who have already worked out what their signature sound is going to be, even before they’ve released a full-length album. However, they are in danger of recycling the same tones and sounds, particularly if they don’t soon switch off the delay pedal. People like familiarity, but not when it becomes repetitiveness.
Having said that, ‘Reaction’ is DLC’s most solid song to date, particularly for vocalist Kim Benzie who’s stripped back the stratospheric high notes that were abundant on the group’s debut EP but which he consistently struggled to hit live. (I hate to say it, but that’s what you get when you use Auto-Tune.) It’s a more natural range for Kim, allowing him not only to add some well-placed harmonies but make his vocals far more rhythmic and laconic, creating an infectious counterpoint to the frenetic instrumentation that’s sitting underneath.
It’s not a deviation from the EP, but more of a solidification of their musical style. ‘Reaction’ is a promising sign of things to come for these Brisbane boys.
May 9, 2008 3:53 pm
i know what you mean about the whole delay pedal thing.. i loved the EP, but the first single from the new album does scream of rehashing unfortunately. the chord changes seem almost predictable…
May 13, 2008 9:09 pm
I agree that his vocal talent is lacklustre in person; it was a slight (ever so slight) disappointment for me when I saw them live. Everything else about their sound is epic though. I love the EP, and this new track is easily as good, if not better.
May 20, 2008 6:20 pm
actually, reaction was one of the first songs the band ever wrote. i agree with both posters – his voice IS lacking live, and he also fails to show depth with variations in his tone etc. however i don’t think you should publish things such as your autotune accusation without finding out first – things like this not only being the integrity of the band into question but also YOUR integrity as a blogger/journalist.
May 21, 2008 9:30 am
Hey Guy,
I didn’t know that about ‘Reaction’, that it was one of their first songs. I can see why it didn’t make the EP though, because it doesn’t fit the rest of the tracks on the CD. I’m glad it saw the light of day though and I hope they keep these kinds of songs up.
I was wondering when someone was going to bring up the autotune comment haha. Aside from being able to hear the notes that are autotuned, plus knowing Forrester Savell’s way of producing (using a grid for drum tracks, basicaly getting everything clinically perfect), I’ve actually been to Modern Music Studios (R.I.P may I add, great studio) where the band recorded the EP and have spoken to some of the people involved in that CD. But thank you for raising the point.