Narcissus Crave and Collapse
Abacus Recordings 2003
By Jason Jordan
Narcissus, hands down, is the finest band on the Abacus Recordings roster. Crave and Collapse is a monumental album that surpasses efforts made by even solidified screamo bands. Citing the fact that the band is relatively young, this accomplishment is no small feat.
Division of the Figureheads is a stellar introduction to the record as it presents seething fury intertwined with clean, emotive vocal performance. I hear influences of Mastodon at times. The blend of screams and clean vox works really well. Crave and Collapse juxtaposes Popes vocalizations with an unnerving, musical accompaniment. The aforementioned track seems to relay a sense of unrest and discontent. Talented Prey Weak Hunter is a softer composition, but vestiges of heaviness appear here and there. Sound of Silver continues the lighter deluge until synth (alone) takes the forefront at the four-minute mark; then, Pride/Politics blasts onto the scene confidently. Pride/Politics is definitely my favorite track on the release due to the masterful duality between heavy and soft. Lofty vocals enhance the overall atmosphere of the song as well. To James is a solid outing, along with The Recovery and Seveneight. Blessed Coma contains some interesting melody lines, which often become the focus. As with almost any release, there are a minimal amount of songs on this disc that mainly serve as diversions; however, the myriad good songs on the record warrant intense listening in order to digest the complexity of the music within.
To reiterate, Crave and Collapse is an excellent, multi-faceted album, that deserves attention from anyone that likes solid songwriting. Despite several groups attempting to vie for the lead within this same genre, Narcissus rise above the pack due to their overt accessibility and talent.
8.5/10
Official Narcissus website
Official Abacus Recordings website
Abacus Recordings 2003
By Jason Jordan
Narcissus, hands down, is the finest band on the Abacus Recordings roster. Crave and Collapse is a monumental album that surpasses efforts made by even solidified screamo bands. Citing the fact that the band is relatively young, this accomplishment is no small feat.
Division of the Figureheads is a stellar introduction to the record as it presents seething fury intertwined with clean, emotive vocal performance. I hear influences of Mastodon at times. The blend of screams and clean vox works really well. Crave and Collapse juxtaposes Popes vocalizations with an unnerving, musical accompaniment. The aforementioned track seems to relay a sense of unrest and discontent. Talented Prey Weak Hunter is a softer composition, but vestiges of heaviness appear here and there. Sound of Silver continues the lighter deluge until synth (alone) takes the forefront at the four-minute mark; then, Pride/Politics blasts onto the scene confidently. Pride/Politics is definitely my favorite track on the release due to the masterful duality between heavy and soft. Lofty vocals enhance the overall atmosphere of the song as well. To James is a solid outing, along with The Recovery and Seveneight. Blessed Coma contains some interesting melody lines, which often become the focus. As with almost any release, there are a minimal amount of songs on this disc that mainly serve as diversions; however, the myriad good songs on the record warrant intense listening in order to digest the complexity of the music within.
To reiterate, Crave and Collapse is an excellent, multi-faceted album, that deserves attention from anyone that likes solid songwriting. Despite several groups attempting to vie for the lead within this same genre, Narcissus rise above the pack due to their overt accessibility and talent.
8.5/10
Official Narcissus website
Official Abacus Recordings website
