Camber – Anyway, I’ve Been There – Review

Camber

Anyway, I’ve Been There (Deep Elm)
by Tim Den

Hmm… interesting. An emo band that doesn’t really sound very emo. That is, if emo means Sunny Day chords and whinning vocals. Camber utilizes dissonant melodies and angular guitars to create a semi-DC sound for themselves, a move that usually puts a stake right through the emo style. After all, how are you supposed to sound sensitive when metallic jiggles are all you have to sing over? Well, Camber manages to pull it off. Switching between the atonal clangs of the verses and eerily melodic choruses, the songs on Anyway, I’ve Been There sound just as heart-broken as the next Mineral clone without all the clichés. It does take a while to get over the obtuse verses on most of the album, but when you do, the payoff is major. Songs like “Spirit Gum” and “Wait” let tone deaf notes run rampant for a while, then unleash soothing melodies without breaking a sweat. Nice transitions that lead to surprising choruses. A good example of how you don’t have to keep playing songs really slow in E major to sound sensitive.
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