| REVIEWS |
Matchbook
Romance
West For Wishing EP
(Epitaph)
My last college roommate was quite the hefty fellow. He drove
a beat up old Dodge truck (which he named “The Beast”),
ate like one who would and loved the midnight meals and those
big plate dinners. He was, what some might call, a connoisseur
of not-so-fine dining, and the Americanized Mexican fast food
chain was undoubtedly a favored destination spot. The only place
on earth that can create a multi-itemed menu from about three
ingredients does certainly have its appeal, but the drawbacks
can often leave a very sour feeling in one’s stomach.
This one trip was quite the anomaly; we had received our order
and like so many times before, he asked for a bagful of extra
“hot sauce” from the seemingly jaded cashier. Perhaps
it was from the unconceivable excitement of working at fast
food taco (or the fact that it was Bakersfield), but this wily
cashier refused;
“Sorry sir, we can’t give you any extra hot sauce.”
Now there a few things you don’t do to a large hungry
man – show him where your kitchen is and deny his right
to extra hot sauce. What proceeded was confusion, anger and
a conversation not suitable for young, tender ears. My unfortunate
friend is perhaps the only person to have ever caused such commotion
at a fast food place while not robbing the joint. In the end,
thanks to manager intervention, he did score his extra hot sauce,
but was informed that new policy states they will no longer
be handing out ‘free’ extra sauce but in the future,
doling it out for an added sum.
As if it was some act of divine beings, all the trouble that
he went through, all the bickering, the anger, the frustration;
it all resulted in one thing – diarrhea.
And for all the unique artists, stirring records and affecting
changes to society that Epitaph Records have been involved with
over the course of so many years, it is dumbfounding that they
release this mechanical, overbearing, pseudo-emotion filled
mess of audio diarrhea. On a staple diet of punk-like guitar
chugging, heartbroken adages and rhythmic anonymity; Matchbook
Romance’s West For Wishing is an unfortunate
trek into the myriad world of emotive nondescript music. Is
this Finch? Is this Taking Back Sunday? Yes – it reeks
of wilting familiarity - another faceless lump in the wretched
"new emo/punk" pestilence.
Their single “The Greatest Fall (Of All Time)” (ironically
enough) and the other four tracks have been put through extensive
knob turning, but don’t let the slick production and sound
quality fool you. If someone happens to say, “Hey, Matchbook
Romance are going places!” – You’d better
believe them; they’re heading out of Epitaph’s posterior
and straight into the toilet bowl.
Reviewed by
Billy Maulana
May 28th, 2003 |
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