Golden Mixtape

With school back in session, not only are new textbooks and rulers a must, but so is Greeley Estates new album, The Death of Greeley Estates. And while this title would seem to foreshadow what is to come for the band, the intensity of the guitars and the lyrics are too lively for me to feel like the Grim Reaper is around the corner for these dudes. However, there are some elements of death which keep the album centered on the idea that someone or something has died. If you are well into the new phenomenon of all things paranormal, these are the songs you’ll find on repeat the most. “Bodies,” starts off extremely heavy, and while I expected to hear it open with screams, I was surprised to hear a melodic voice (reflective of Bert McCracken) sing the lyrics: “Turns out they found the bodies, the bodies in my floor. Turns out they found the bodies, underneath the boards.” Does this remind anyone of the infamous Edgar Allan Poe story? “Tell Tale Heart,” anyone? Perhaps this is why I enjoyed this particular song thoroughly being a fan of Poe’s works. I couldn’t think of a better allusion than that of Poe to sell the theme of death. See? And they say you can’t learn anything from music! (I guarantee you’ll earn an A if you did a compare and contrast essay on this for your English class.)

“A Thousand Burning Forests,” is another must listen to. Another melodic piece, which is also something of a slow jam, but not so much as the ending track, “December;” both beautiful, well written lyrically and musically, encapsulating those more well known feelings of grief – guilt and anger. Fear not, for there are also some songs which reflect the living. Tracks like, “Mouth to Mouth” and “The Medic” focus on those few seconds before death overcomes a person. There is still life, at least, in the music; the drums will keep your heart thumping and the blood rushing through your veins. Each song is its own; you will not hear the same song twice on this album as they all explore the theme of death using different musical elements. You might catch a choir on here, or – you know…while school may be a drag and your brain feels like it’s been taken by a zombie, buy Greeley Estates , The Death of Greeley Estates, and come back to the land of the living for goodness sakes.

Originally published on August 23, 2011