Spring Break
Take a Journey On 'The Trail Of Dead'
Nick Hennessey
Issue date: 11/16/06 Section: Focus
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have long been loitering in the periphery of contemporary rock enthusiasts and consumers at large. In the bustling, overcrowded freeway of rock 'n' roll, Trail Of Dead are standing on the outskirts as a highway sign. They pass mostly unnoticed by the listeners driving the market in sedans, who can't help but see Interpol, Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes, which emerge as 24 wheelers, rumbling past and situating themselves in direct view. With their new release, "So Divided," Trail of Dead accumulate their aspirations into a powerful, diverse disc that has the potential to launch them onto the road.
Subtly hinted at by their name, the band has never been comfortable with simplicity. Headed by the intellectual Conrad Keely, who can be seen alternating positions with co-founder Jason Reece behind the one of the two drum sets on and guitar / vocal duties during live shows, Trail of Dead have all the masochistic tendencies. They've been known to punctuate performances with apocalyptic displays of instrument destruction, and thoughtfulness (they began their last album "Worlds Apart" with "a choir chanting ancient Egyptian gods," according to Rolling Stone reviewer Rob Sheffield). However, the accolades they've received in the press for their breathtaking talent and imagination have not translated into album sales. Their prior release left them with a disappointing 100,000 records sold, which came close to prompting Keely to disband the group. After getting over their vexing lack of popularity, Keely and his band wrote an album in which "the music sounds upbeat, but the subject matter is very heavy," he says.
"So Divided" begins with "Intro: A Song of Fire and Wine," an instrumental on top of the sounds of a gregarious social gathering whose patrons seem to be interacting with the music played. A contemplative, foreboding guitar line stands alone above their chattering, splashed with cymbal rushes that trigger the excitement of the audience, who cheer for each crescendo. The intro merges gloriously into the second track, "Stand In Silence," whose beginnings set flame to the firecracker the instrumental's notes had the potential to form. The surfacing drums and bass propel the melody into a surge of punk ferocity, while Keely belts out "I had a house on a rock / I turned around and it had gone to rot." The song speaks of Keely´s disillusionment over his band's lack of success. In the last verse, which blasts out a reprise of the first track, he asks, "I had a vision, had a song / I had a visions where's my vision gone?"
The fourth track, "Naked Sun" is a gritty, blues influenced song sung apathetically by Reece. The number is equipped with a full-fledged brass freak-out reminiscent of Radiohead´s on Kid A´s "The National Anthem." The band draws from its plethora of influences to much avail on the title track, the sixth on the album. It contains a bridge colored with lightly hit, yet frantic sixteenth notes on the hi hat, and quirky yet gorgeous guitar and vocal tracks which combine as an appendage of more epic and divided take on Sonic Youth's "Teenage Riot" off their "Daydream Nation" album.
With their unwavering penchant for uniqueness and tremendous fervor, Trail Of Dead have made album deserving of both critical acclaim and your money.
Subtly hinted at by their name, the band has never been comfortable with simplicity. Headed by the intellectual Conrad Keely, who can be seen alternating positions with co-founder Jason Reece behind the one of the two drum sets on and guitar / vocal duties during live shows, Trail of Dead have all the masochistic tendencies. They've been known to punctuate performances with apocalyptic displays of instrument destruction, and thoughtfulness (they began their last album "Worlds Apart" with "a choir chanting ancient Egyptian gods," according to Rolling Stone reviewer Rob Sheffield). However, the accolades they've received in the press for their breathtaking talent and imagination have not translated into album sales. Their prior release left them with a disappointing 100,000 records sold, which came close to prompting Keely to disband the group. After getting over their vexing lack of popularity, Keely and his band wrote an album in which "the music sounds upbeat, but the subject matter is very heavy," he says.
"So Divided" begins with "Intro: A Song of Fire and Wine," an instrumental on top of the sounds of a gregarious social gathering whose patrons seem to be interacting with the music played. A contemplative, foreboding guitar line stands alone above their chattering, splashed with cymbal rushes that trigger the excitement of the audience, who cheer for each crescendo. The intro merges gloriously into the second track, "Stand In Silence," whose beginnings set flame to the firecracker the instrumental's notes had the potential to form. The surfacing drums and bass propel the melody into a surge of punk ferocity, while Keely belts out "I had a house on a rock / I turned around and it had gone to rot." The song speaks of Keely´s disillusionment over his band's lack of success. In the last verse, which blasts out a reprise of the first track, he asks, "I had a vision, had a song / I had a visions where's my vision gone?"
The fourth track, "Naked Sun" is a gritty, blues influenced song sung apathetically by Reece. The number is equipped with a full-fledged brass freak-out reminiscent of Radiohead´s on Kid A´s "The National Anthem." The band draws from its plethora of influences to much avail on the title track, the sixth on the album. It contains a bridge colored with lightly hit, yet frantic sixteenth notes on the hi hat, and quirky yet gorgeous guitar and vocal tracks which combine as an appendage of more epic and divided take on Sonic Youth's "Teenage Riot" off their "Daydream Nation" album.
With their unwavering penchant for uniqueness and tremendous fervor, Trail Of Dead have made album deserving of both critical acclaim and your money.
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