Creative Adult - Dead Air Review

rating:2

Creative Adult are a to what I would describe are a 'classic punk' band. Originating from North Bay with a total of four members coming from various bands such as All Teeth, Lifelong Tragedy, Purple Mercy and more, their experience is unjust and will hopefully reflect on their recording performance. With their EP release, Dead Air via their own record label Broke Hater they have been able to show the masses their progress as a band but like always, I am forever hesitant to trust sources from self-published methods. This can go either one of two ways, so lets have at it. Only being a short album as expected, Dead Air evidently opens with track 1 - Dead Air. The song opening is to what I expected. A hard rush of energy and rhythm you could play against any skating video or jackass montage, however the first 3 seconds in slightly put me off edge. With the opening words to what I can only describe as 'Touch my body' in a slight reverberant voice before exploding into the expected makes me only think, 'why'? As far as I can tell it has no reflection onto the style of the song or lyrical value, so why have it? Without being too harsh, it is very noticeable that this is a self published album, to where less than the best equipment and recording facilities have been used. Maybe to revolve around the classic punk, 'rough-around-the-edges' style? However I think not. The vocals are lacking depth. To coincide with the style, I expect them to be raw, but the combination of the singers attributes in vocal style, its hard to understand or differentiate greatly from the instruments for what you would usually expect. Also with the drums being an essential item in any four-piece, I would have expected a better mix quality. There could have easily been more creativity in creating more bass from the kick or more life from the cymbals. But again, it could have been their intension, just not to my fancy. Tabloid is a much better improvement. Powerful guitars from a better use of overdrive tones creating a more interesting sound. Complimented also by the overdrive bass. Influenced from bands such as Scratch Acid, Black Flag and Joy Division, which I haven't heard much of could explain their choice and style of lyric creation. In Tabloid I find them rather unimaginative and rather tedious with repetition however this may correlate from their influences. With any form of punk band I always identify them from their catchy riffs, 'shout out and sing' choruses and ongoing rhythm, from the top of my head bands like Goldfinger, Blink 182 or Sex Pistols. However I haven't noticed these themes with Creative Adult in full force. Being individual and not following the mainstream trends does have its benefits when trying to create something original, but have Creative Adult played on this too much? Listening to Forbidden Fruit, I take back my previous statement. Boys and girls, here we have the catchy riffs and on-going rhythm. Its a shame that its a short song as it would have to be my favourite of the album. The overall track seems to be that much more higher quality with every instrument noticeable in its own way - the way it should be. Saying that, I am still not the biggest fan of the vocals, however the timings, pace and attitude is an improvement from the previous songs. If they keep up songs like this, then its a band I could easily see myself getting into. Overall Dead Air is simply a taster of what is to come from Creative Adult. Hopefully they will take response from this album to create songs far more superior and work hard towards something bigger. But this time, Im sad to say its not my cup of tea. For any punk lover along the lines of Computers, Rancid, NOFX or even Anti-Flag to a degree, Creative Adult may be necessary in your life, however I am not one of those people.