Review by Matt Miller
“So you start with your powertrip, you think I’ve lost my mind, but you might be the one who’s lost my mind, and me wasting my time…I don’t think so.” A wonderful set of lyrics I’ve taken completely out of context, don’t you think? Unfortunately, they come from Human Waste Project’s e-lux, which I used to flush my temporal lobes immediately after Beautiful Creatures dropped a frustratingly unremarkable Deuce into my stereo. That’s not to say it’s anywhere near the worst I’ve heard—Instrumentation is solid, but the “…no-frills kick-a$$ rock ‘n’ roll at its finest…” comment emblazoned in brilliant red and white on the cover is a little farfetched. Oh, I’m not kidding, the ss’s really are dollar signs.
Nevertheless, first impressions scream ‘borefest’ with the intro track “Anyone,” which also happens to be the first single. Intro-singles alone irk me, but I could cover that in a tipsy three hour lecture on Theories on Insecurities in LP Theme Development, not here though. The main problem with the song is that it feels lyrically empty. Simple lines are stretched out to keep up with a rhythm that wants to move faster. Think of it as a line of cars stuck behind a pesky cyclist on a road with lots of hills and curves. The typical, insubstantial rock single. No fake, the first line is “Light my cigarette.”
“Freedom” remedies the vocal situation a bit with some simple lyrical improvement. The vocals pick up more of the rhythm because the lines are more conceptual and complicated at points, eg. “I am the train that takes you back. Like the sleeve that hides the tracks.” Not terribly poetic, and I’ll admit I’m not exactly sure what effect drawing a parallel between needle tracks and a train is supposed to have besides sounding a trifle…‘kick-a$$,’ but it at least encourages more thought than “I don’t wanna be just like anyone, I don’t wanna be like you.” Sounds like an angsty myspace blog. “Freedom” really should have been the single, but maybe someone got confused in post-production because they both have wicked guitar solos.
“Unforgiven” offers a lot of the same, although the rhythm shifts from moderately speedy, set forth from the beginning of Deuce, to just moderate for the chorus. This leads nicely into “Save Me,” which has the same juxtaposed rhythms. Essentially, this track is introduced with the moderate rhythm foreshadowing a generally gloomier mood.
After a regression to the routinely rock n’ roll style of the first two tracks, Deuce up and surprises listeners with…I daresay FRILLS! “Empty” is repeatedly interrupted, by a brief, distorted melody. Normally, I’d enjoy the crazy noise, but it only distracts from a suitably gloomy, but indeed empty track. “Never,” on the other hand, introduces an almost industrial sounding electronic rhythm that permeates the entire song. Lyrics sound familiar “I’ll never be what you want me to be…” etc., but the melody adds a tinge of intrigue to an otherwise bleak soundscape. Ironic, the best moment can be considered a frilly fluke.
“Ton of Lead” rings with a decidedly ‘bluesy’ air, probably the best track, but at point 10 of 13, who’s still listening? As if Professor Fate assigned the album as the primary text for the hypothetical LP Theme Development course, Deuce begins wrapping up with another huge blunder in musicianship. Not only does “Brand New Day” burst into listener consciousness with the old threefold repetition “you’re beautiful, beautiful, beautiful” and later “you’re wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,” but the next track, “Thanks” does the exact same thing with the same amount of syllables in the same rhythm “We’re looking for, looking for, looking for.” The final insult to ingenuity…you guessed it…is the lone ballad “I Won’t Be the One,” which is not only predictable, but a straight up, no frills deuce-drop for the auditory system.