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The Color
Guard: Speech for Hated Hearts
Speech for Heated Hearts is an intriguing release from The Color Guard. This is a band with three girls and a guy drummer, so the female vocals add a bit of the flavor to their sound. Trying to place their sound is a bit tricky, but the music is kind of aggressive, yet also kind of controlled and poppy. There are some really nice melodies in these songs, and the lyrics come out frequently in the forefront. I'm not really sure what I think about the lyrics overall. It brings to mind one of the biggest challenges I often see for rock and rollers of the Estrogen persuasion. When you think of girls that rock hard, who do you think of...Sleater Kinney, Joan Jett, Le Tigre perhaps? Well, I think these bands have all challenged some of the stereotypes that female rock n' rollers are often stuck with, and it seems like the best female rock brings to life something that a band of guys just wouldn't come up with. In many ways, the Color Guard aspires to do that by pulling off a strong, aggressive sound, but the mood sometimes conflicts with the vibe of the lyrics. For example, in the song, "Wreck My Tea," the singer sounds like a four year old at her first tea party. I can't imagine why a heavy band like this would need this song on their album, especially when some other songs like "Not My Valentine" rock with a distinctive edge. In a positive way, this release reminds me a bit of Lush's "Lovelife" album, where some fierce, rocking keepers are interspersed with a few weirder songs that sound like Lisa Loeb on crazy pills. On the track, "You Haul," the music is fine, and the harmonies are a great touch, but what's up with that chorus? It just sounds a bit out of place. My only suggestion for The Color Guard is to try and hone some direct lyrical themes to match their impressive display of musical talent. Not that the whole album lacks from this. The song "Superglue" is pretty convincing with its lyrical list of fractured emotions that mirror the tense atmosphere of the song. Rock music is always about expression though, and I'd like to hear the Color Guard express just a little bit more of what they're feeling lyrically before I place them at the same level as some of their awe-inspiring contemporaries.
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