Huh. I just realized that there aren't a lot of emo lady bands. Well, maybe Beezus is one for you. However, They're kind of leaning into a more alternative genre than an emo label for me. This song, "Shy," is a loping, minimal affair that doesn't vary a lot dynamically. It reminds me of some Spinanes songs or the slow part from my favorite that dog song. It's morose in style, tone, and, if I'm honest, quality. It's just kind of a boring sad song. There's no real feeling or musicianship that stands out. A lackadaisical bass melody and possible wrong notes (are they on purpose?) during the chorus adds to my unease. I should flip this record over.

With a flourish of a hi-hat roll, Braid saves this split release. They quickly build to some frantic and complex rhythmic structures that, in turn, build more and more tension to an explosion of long vocal phrases that both singers overlap on. There's no hope for understanding what they're singing about, but you can tell from the melody that it means something. More layers of different rhythms keep the listener on their toes. Even an apparent key change before the vocals lose it altogether and the song returns to instrumental cycles of melody and rhythm. While a couple of the transitions between tempos are not as sharp as they could be, this is a solid offering. As a pretty early Braid release, you can see the ideas from this song take root in later, more polished offerings.

If you like this review, you can buy me a coffee.