Brandtson is back with their third full-length disc for Deep Elm and this time the band strays even further from their emo roots, and heads further into the indie-pop realm. Unfortunately, this disc doesn't quite have the strength of either Letterbox or Fallen Star Collection.
The disc starts off with an almost Elvis Costello-like "Mark it a Zero," followed by more laid-back and introspective "The Rookie Year." Then comes one of the stronger songs on the album, "With Friends Like You," an anthem to the frailty of relationships. Other strong songs include "Cherokee Red" and its reminiscences on youth, and the melancholy final track, "Fireworks and Phonecalls."
Production on this disc was handled by Ed Rose who has worked recently with bands like Appleseed Cast, Casket Lottery, and Get Up Kids.
Sadly, the band breaks no new ground here, and the music is almost too accessible. But if handled properly by the promotions folks at Deep Elm it could make a mark at commercial radio. Not a bad album, just nothing remarkable.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis January 2002Reviewed by Travis PersaudBrandtson strikes again with Dial In Sounds, the follow-up to their EP, Trying To Figure Each Other Out. This is Brandtson's third full-length album, and their fourth release on Deep Elm Records. My expectations for this album were high - very high. After falling in love with Brandtson's last release, an EP entitled "Trying to Figure Each Other Out," the only acceptable thing in my mind would be…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Bert GanglDuring the summer of 1996, just as his hardcore band sixfeetdeep was breaking up, vocalist and guitarist Myk Porter joined with drummer and longtime friend Jared Jolley to record a six-song EP. With the addition of fellow sixfeetdeep alum Matt Traxler and bassist John Sayre, the planned EP was fleshed out with four new songs and released on Traxler's own label as the Brandtson full-length debut,…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Trae CadenheadA long-time creator of music of the emo variant, Brandtson made their last EP Trying to Figure Each Other Out more of a venture into a pop-emo sound, a sound that seemed to work well for them. Dial in Sounds is the natural progression from Trying. The music of Dial in Sounds may seem average at first, but upon repeat listens it will be found that the sound is catchier every time you dial in. The…Similar sounding releases
2000PodstarPodstar
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2004Send Us A Signal
2000Trying to Figure Each Other Out
2003Death and Taxes
1997Letterbox
1999Fallen Star Collection
