Dead Mechanical - Addict Rhythms CD TST 028
One of the best things about living in the miserable hole that is Washington, DC is that -if nothing else -it's not far from Baltimore. And one of the best things about Baltimore is definitely Dead Mechanical. The band have been around for a few years now, but don't get out on the road too often which has resulted in a kind of "best kept secret" status. They're a tough band to describe, but let's just say that if you're a fan of the kind of gritty pop punk Traffic Street seems to specialize in (or at least focus on) you're going to be into this record in a big way. Drawing influence from bands like Jawbreaker, The Wipers, and Husker Du, and with two lead vocalists (both totally distinct and providing an awesome contrast to one another) Dead Mechanical are playing around in a well-worn genre without sounding at all worn themselves.
As Todd Taylor over at Razorcake said in his review of their previous full-length (Medium Noise), "They're aware of Dillinger Four, Jawbreaker, and Toys That Kill, but don't want to sound anything like them. They want to sound like who shows up in the mirror in the morning ... Mid-paced, melodic, and melancholic while giving the overall feeling of Baltimore in the winter: the rust, the caked-on ice, white puffs of breath, of a town living in the shadow of much larger cities and deciding to stay and celebrate what it has to offer ... A spot-on album. Highly recommended."
If we were more organized, we'd already have glowing reviews of Addict Rhythms to show you -but don't worry, they're coming.