Courtesy Blush goes way above the call of duty on their independently released album. I can't remember the last time I've heard an emo/hardcore band buck the concept of traditional song structure as well as these guys. The songs are an evolution all the way through, often with only a repeated chorus to make you realize that you're even on the same track.
What that means is that "Sweet Modern Fairy Tales" is an interesting listen from beginning to end. The instrumentation does a lot of cool things, feeling unwilling to do too much repeating. While it does seem ADD, there is also a thrill of excitement because, unlike most emo releases where everything is safe and predictable, you just don't know what comes next here.
Of course, that is not to say that everything here is outstanding. While the vocal styles are as varied as everything else here, what is used most frequently is that whimpering emo-boy whine. Unfortunately, it's not even done well. Not even by emo's admittedly low standards.
That's not a minor complaint, however, enough vocal stylings are used to keep the shrill whine from being too much of a focal point of the album. If these guys get signed, loose (or drastically improve) the whine, and find a good producer, they have the potential to save the world.
2.5/4
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