Not looking to rest on their laurels of having three of my favorite CD's ever(LLO 1 & 2, Mare Vitalis), The Appleseed Cast defected to Tiger Style records for their newest effort, Two Conversations.
The concept of Two Conversations is one of broken hearts and rekindled love. The first five songs of the record are about a relationship that is spiraling towards it's end. The final five songs are about a love interest that was once lost but now renewed as a best friend. Sure the former you've bound to hear alot of songs about but the latter isn't a social situation touched on very often. Chris Crisci's vocals are as honest and beautiful as his lyrics. Josh Baruth's drumming is absolutely phenomenal as he always manages a way to hit the crown of the ride in just the right places. Aaron Pillar's guitar work is still just as atmospheric as before, while helping to establish the melody more and bringing very catchy hooks across. With that said, I should tell you more about the cd itself.
"Hello Dearest Love" opens the cd up with the sound Low Level Owl left off with. A faint organ plays in the background whilst the shuffling of feet, the click of drumsticks being picked up, and the first key is pressed on the piano. The guitar plays as the organ and piano lend chords to the melody until it can't go on any further. Josh fills in with a powerful drum intro which brings the whole band into full swing. Already in the first song they have taken the almost straightforward style of Mare Vitalis and mixed it with the experimentation of the Low Level Owl series.
"Hanging Marionette" is a semi-upbeat tune that has an infectious melody that you'll find yourself singing along to. The melody is so good infact, it's used to close out the cd as well. "Ice Heavy Branches" kicks in after that with a mathy type drum beat and guitars singing back and forth to each other. Crisci's vocals are very restrained in this song until the chorus hits, singing "We could both be naked now and innocent." A little immature sounding for Chris, yet it still seems fitting.
The best track on the CD is the last song on the first half. "Fight Song" manages to be catchy while still holding a lot of emotional value. Baruth opens the song up with cymbal work that is practically unheard of in the indie/emo scene. The song is a dynamic roller coaster with interchanging ups and downs. Crisci definitely wears his heart on his sleeve with this one, belting out word after word from the top of his lungs.
The second half, or the "rekindling of lost friendship" side of the record is a lot more mellow than the first half. "Sinking" starts off this half and moves along at the pace of a snail. This is probably the weakest song on the disc. "The Page" follows up this song being an acoustic number that sounds like it was recorded in a bedroom. While it gives it a more intimate feeling, it feels a bit out of place as the production on the rest of the album really is phenomenal. It's not a long number though and plays right into "Innocent Vigilant Ordinary," the second best song on the album and the only upbeat song on the second half. The lyrics are great beside some very questionable lines where Crisci finds himself saying, "You're the only one," over and over. Pretty cheesy but somewhat forgiveable. The last song, "A Dream For Us," falls back on the Low Level Owl sound and borrows the melody from "Hanging Marionette" which is featured earlier in this record. A nearly 7 minute song, the instrumentation is a lot more present and lush on this song than any other on the disc.
While it's no Low Level Owl it's still a great CD. It's a step into the more "rock" direction they forgot over the years that could possibly launch them into the mainstream eventually. They write some of the best hooks that the genre has seen and still know how to be intimate and in touch with the listener at the same time.
