Russ Hockenbury
08/26/06, 11:41 AM
Look Mexico - The Crucial EP
Label: Atlas Distro
Release Date: May 10, 2006
If there ever was a band that was a required name check for your indie credibility badge, it would probably be American Football. Everybody from the hardcore kid hanging out at the local VFW hall to the Conor Oberst look-alikes frequenting your neighborhood coffeeshops and boutiques has at least heard of them. Mike Kinsella and crew’s popularity has remained constant years after their demise and members’ subsequent resurrections in less popular, arguably more talented projects.
Despite not being in the Kinsella family’s bloodline, Look Mexico are very much American Football-like on their debut release with the tongue-in-cheek title, The Crucial EP. They display the same fondness for dynamic instrumentals and secondary vocals that you’d find on those late 90’s Polyvinyl releases. More proof of the band’s inclination to say it without words, two of the EP’s five tracks are sans voice.
Don’t call the scene police for plagiarism just yet though. The guitars, as mathy as they are, don’t meander as aimlessly. The vocals, aren’t as desperate. Nope, Look Mexico aren’t quite as heavy-handed as their predecessors were. Maybe it has something to do with being from a less burdenous city in Tallahassee. Midwestern winters have a tendency to harden you up, after all.
All in all, I like where Look Mexico are coming from on The Crucial EP. Vintage emo is long overdue to be back in vogue. Keep yourself from expecting Agrella to bust into the lyrics of “I’ll See You When We’re Both Not So Emotional”, and I suspect you’ll like them as well.
Motivation for being alone: “Call Off Your Lapdog”, “Guys, I Need A Helicopter”
Coming soon to your Music History class: American Football, Braid, Explosions In The Sky
Label: Atlas Distro
Release Date: May 10, 2006
If there ever was a band that was a required name check for your indie credibility badge, it would probably be American Football. Everybody from the hardcore kid hanging out at the local VFW hall to the Conor Oberst look-alikes frequenting your neighborhood coffeeshops and boutiques has at least heard of them. Mike Kinsella and crew’s popularity has remained constant years after their demise and members’ subsequent resurrections in less popular, arguably more talented projects.
Despite not being in the Kinsella family’s bloodline, Look Mexico are very much American Football-like on their debut release with the tongue-in-cheek title, The Crucial EP. They display the same fondness for dynamic instrumentals and secondary vocals that you’d find on those late 90’s Polyvinyl releases. More proof of the band’s inclination to say it without words, two of the EP’s five tracks are sans voice.
Don’t call the scene police for plagiarism just yet though. The guitars, as mathy as they are, don’t meander as aimlessly. The vocals, aren’t as desperate. Nope, Look Mexico aren’t quite as heavy-handed as their predecessors were. Maybe it has something to do with being from a less burdenous city in Tallahassee. Midwestern winters have a tendency to harden you up, after all.
All in all, I like where Look Mexico are coming from on The Crucial EP. Vintage emo is long overdue to be back in vogue. Keep yourself from expecting Agrella to bust into the lyrics of “I’ll See You When We’re Both Not So Emotional”, and I suspect you’ll like them as well.
Motivation for being alone: “Call Off Your Lapdog”, “Guys, I Need A Helicopter”
Coming soon to your Music History class: American Football, Braid, Explosions In The Sky