Review by Jake Masters
With a listen to this EP, it seems that California’s Bleed the Dream would fit nice and snug into the newly coined “screamo” genre. These are songs full of angst and filled with lyrics about heartbreak, ache, and loss. Staccato guitar blasts, rumbling 5-string bass, impassioned vocals, and drum beats that range from punk to hardcore fill the songs with a sense of urgency. Singer Brandon Thomas swoons and howls with genuine passion (your skin rips like paper, your heart breaks like glass), while bassist Keith Thompson (ex-.click.) adds back-up screams to toughen things up.
The first four tracks of the Awake EP are reminiscent of Finch, while there is a huge Deftones influence on track 5 called "Be There." The last track, “'Pop' Song", is really standout, mixing in a whisper-to-scream vocal style and a weird sample that sounds like an opera singer. This last perk-up can’t make up for the definite lack of innovation on this EP. However, the band sounds tight, even if unwilling to be adventurous and, besides, it’s only an EP and their first release at that. I’ll wait for a listen to their upcoming full-length album before I write Bleed the Dream off as pure recyclers of sound.
recommended for fans of: Finch, Thursday, Thrice, & Deftones.