Album: Life:Love::Love:Murder: Artist: Early Black Genres: #PostPunk, #AlternativeRock Subgenres: #Shoegaze #NoWave
Label: Unknown
Release Date: September 3, 2010
Non-Airable Tracks: None
Early Black is a band local to Tucson, formed in 2007, and while online websites label them as shoegaze, post-punk, and so much more, their sound encompasses a much wider range of tones and textures. I believe there will be something for everyone in this band.
Their first, and currently only release available online, Life:Love::Love:Murder, is an angsty collection of tracks varying from everything from vibey groovy tunes anyone can get down with, to an ear splitting cacophony of sound. Every song has something to hold on to, the trill of a guitar, the bleak vocals, or the crushing weight of the sound. While the tracks consistently harbor a grungy texture, the songs don’t stray too far into unfamiliar territory for most music lovers.
Arguably one of the strongest tracks in this album, Straight Line, amps up the drama big time. The dissonant, distorted rhythmic guitars complement the friendly lead instruments and at the perfect moment, the fuzzy wailing of rhythm guitars redirect us to the chorus yet again. I can imagine walking along a bridge on an overcast, rainy day to this song. Big sounds for an underrated band.
I had the opportunity to see them live a few months ago at Sky Bar, and the immense power of their shows can not be captured on a mere audio recording. While their studio recordings are clean, their shows really show you why they're tagged as shoegaze and no-wave online. A few words to describe the experience is loud and noisy, but in a good way. They don't put on flashy performances and let the music speak for itself. My experience was pretty chill, but really enjoyable.
Early Black is a hidden gem in the local scene, but despite being around since 2007 they have yet to release another full length album. I know they have some stuff that has been in the works for a while. I hope as time goes on we can see some of these 'behind the scenes songs' show themselves a new studio release. If you ever have the opportunity to catch one of their shows, I would take it.
8/10
Sounds Like: - Joy Division - Bauhaus
- Killing Joke Recommended Tracks: - Straight Line
- Hollow - Apocalypse Close to Home Reviewers Name: Eloisa Martinez
Date of Review: 09/11/23