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Each time a band is able to produce a great deal of music in a small amount of time I’m always impressed. It seems like it wasn’t too long ago that I had gotten to know Death Dreams, PS I Love You’s last full-length album, but yet here we are, two years later and another LP from Paul Saulnier and company awaits us. This time around the band has delved once again into the self-deprecating and invasive side of post-punk and guitar centric tunes, but they have moved to a more straightforward approach with For Those Who Stay.
The beginning of this album has a real kick that pulled me in immediately. “In My Mind At Least” is a fast paced and exciting tune that starts the album off quite strong. Saulnier’s voice is as theatrical as ever, yelping and skimming over the top of the instrumentation in a wild manner that suits the jangly guitar and driving rhythm. His voice wails that he’s “sorry [he] forgot about that thing [he] was supposed to do last week” and you find yourself jamming along to his apologetic declarations.
But the album is not all unabashed and unrevised rock and roll, but simmers down a bit off this hot entry, though this is nothing to complain about. On the contrary, I quite enjoy third track, “Bad Brain Day,” which has the guitar squall as if its going to jump into another speedy tune, but then stays there, riding on the delicate side of Saulnier’s voice and the quiet beat to generate a softer number that will have you coming back for this different side of PS I Love You. The gentle plucking of the guitar right alongside the matching vocals is a soothing break from the rock and roll. However, this break is not for too long—the very next track “Limestone Radio” kicks right back into the fast paced guitar rock.
Though offering such a promising start, this album doesn’t escalate the way in which you wish it did. While far from boring, it does fade into the background a little too easily, but not before it gives you a few really great tracks at its start, but trails off after the title track. Perhaps you’ll dig it all the way through.
It’s really easy to fall in love with a new act when the label that’s releasing them does such a great job of using band descriptors to describe new signings. This was much the case when Belfast label CF Records put out some information on their newest act, Waiters; all they had to do was name-drop The Servants and The Shop Assistants and they had my money. They’re crafting this melancholy pop music that’s hard to ignore upon first listen, or upon the fiftieth listen for that matter. I’m glad to have found these guys; I’ll be picking up their 12″ What For Art Thou EP from the label today.
