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Album Review: March On, Comrade - Self Titled EP


Let's talk about how cool this cover is tho....

MARCH ON, COMRADE

Self Titled EP

April 15, 2016

9.5/10

Mature compositions, clean arrangements, top quality production, and a fresh approach to the traditional post-rock format come together to make quite the impression on this debut release.

 

I live in a city of roughly 260,000 people, in a State that people often only think about when they have to drive through it or come and watch people drive (really fast) inside it. For all intents and purposes, to the outside world Fort Wayne is just another "great American city" full of blue collar workers, bars open late, and a church on every block. But what they don't know is that gestating deep within the Millenial youth crowd of its city is an arts/music scene that could pound-for-pound go up against cities like Austin, Portland, and Seattle. Sure, bigger cities put out a greater amount of bands, painters, writers, and creatives, but the insane talent pool and quality that comes from what this city puts out is a level on par with more creatively famous cities like the ones previously mentioned. Aces all of them.

This is no better showcased than in the debut EP release from local post rock band March On, Comrade. A band made up of members from a mixture of projects in years past now solidifying their own sound. You'd think a "new" band would have growing pains, rocky starts, or misses here and there on a debut release but this album puts forth a confident sound most long time bands would kill to have. It's a sign of great songwriting, arrangement and band chemistry that each track on this EP sounds this wonderfully balanced in each of elements. There's not too much of any one player, which is saying something in the debut release of a post pock outfit. Far too often bands of this nature go for the decibel crushing gusto on their first release but what March On, Comrade has put out is a selection of intricately constructed arrangements that showcase different beats, tempos, sounds, and even sub-genres of what they're capable of achieving.

When I first saw them at their debut show last fall and my friend asked what they sounded like, I didn't want to label it Post Rock, because that'd be too easy. There was something poppy behind it, something that quirked more than the serious post rock sound, and hell, there were vocals (in English, sorry Sigur Ros). So I simply said "Indie New Wave Post Rock", and while I don't necessarily think it's the appropriate definition, this band is clearly more than post rock. A track like "Prism" quite clearly distinguishes their sound. Not often do you find vocals in traditional post rock, and more importantly, vocals that MATCH what's being played. I'd venture to guess that there's a hundred bands in the world made of teenagers in garages saying to themselves "Let's be like Godspeed You! Black Emperor but with a singer!" and how many flop, well March On, Comrade pulls it off in spades. It all just fits.

I'd give it a perfect 10/10 but I'll save that for whatever follow up release they put out, because at this rate March On, Comrade can do no wrong. I guess I'll put it this way, in a month that started off with the newest record from Explosions in the Sky, the March On, Comrade debut EP is easily the record to pick up first.

Make sure to go see them this Friday (15th) at CS3 for their release show with guests Metavari and Belle & the Strange. While you're there snag a copy of the record and give someone your firmest high five! If you can't make it to the show, slide over to their Facebook post or just hit up their Bandcamp this weekend to snag a copy of the album.

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