This Boston punk band is made up of members of Reach the Sky, Even in Blackouts, and Stephanie Dougherty - who apparently has lent her vocal abilities to some Dropkick Murphys songs. Deadly Sins play straight forward tuneful punk rock that is probably more popular in seedy bars than it is in basements and VFW halls as the album as a whole has a slight butt-rock feel to it.
Obviously the focal point of the Deadly Sins is the novelty of having a person with XX chromosomes handling the vocals. As hard as we try to be open-minded in the world of underground music we each have our own prejudices when it comes to a lady singing for a band. As much as I hate to admit it, when I know a band has a female vocalists it can make or break a band for me solely on that reason alone. I can listen to any dude whelp, plead, cry, growl, or whine his throat red and I won't bat an ear at them. However, when a band showcases a woman singing, I'm all ears just ready to pass judgment on her ability alone.
I guess I'm a sexist pig. I need to work on this, but I don't think it's all my own close-minded machismo fault. How many times have you heard someone talk of a band and the first thing they drop is that they have female singer? Or how many ads have you seen throughout the year selling records from anyone from X-Ray Spex to Walls of Jericho toting the fact that there just happens to be a girl singing for them?
So yes Stephanie's vocals do make or break Deadly Sins. If this band had a dude singing for them on every song instead of just a couple of them I wouldn't pay them any attention. I would write them off as just another mid-tempo cock-rocking bar punk band and never listen to them ever again. Nevertheless, Dougherty just happens to have the type of female vocals I like. There's a sultry yet smirk laden snarl in her voice that helps these songs. It's sexy and at the time it's also kind of scary. Scary in that hot punk chick that doesn't take any shit from anyone type way. *Insert heart eyes emoticon here*
The songs themselves are very rocking to the point you are thinking of Poison trying to cover Jawbreaker songs. The songs run the gambit of up tempo vicious pop-punk barn burners to near Goo Goo Dolls type 90's rock. Almost every song has a different feel to it which leads the listener either to pay attention or get lost on just exactly who they are listening to.
Selling Our Weaknesses is a good debut album for a newer Boston band that has members that have been knocking it around for awhile. There's plenty of tracks on here that I enjoy; from the venom spitted heartbroken fuck you of "Dial-tone" to the jangly alt-country "Ashes." Deadly Sins produce some good fist pumping bar anthems that would sound great blasting from a shitty PA in an even more shitty bar on a frozen day in the Northeast. And even though I hate to admit it again the band has a good female vocalists that sets them apart from the herds of other bands out there. Selling Our Weaknesses is an album that a nerdy emo kid could listen to with his two pack a day smoking rockabilly girlfriend as they make out after a cheap beer filled night at any number of local waterholes. Of course going to the bar was her idea and the emo lad isn't ever going to say no so long as she holds his hand while she pogos up and down to Deadly Sins.
