Album Review. The End Of The World: You're Making It Come Alive

Flameshovel can boast Tim Kinsella and his rampant experimentalism on their books, while TEOTW may crow about their breezy ditty ‘Little Theater’ featuring on The Manchurian Candidate soundtrack. This potential sonic amalgamation must surely be auspicious for their debut record yes? Yes?
No.
That track, of course, is side-lined and these niche NYC’ers decline the madness. Instead, they offer a lo-fi hybrid of The Walkmen and The National complete with floundering tit-bits of catchy bass, eloquent hookeries and thoughtful bitterness for one to sink their docile canines into. Although sporadically absorbing it morphs into a phlegmatic-at-best LP that avoids blatant derivation in the main, primarily by lacking vocal or lyrical prowess, but is in its prime when imitating the aforementioned masters of the genre. A block of mimetic, however beguiling, has never been an acceptable yardstick for art – just ask Plato.