Fire Divine

It’s All a Blur (Deep Elm)
by Jessica Parker

In a four-song debut, Fire Divine brings more screamo into the world. It’s All a Blur revs and charges all the way through, save one track. The five band members are obviously talented, and the music is complex and interesting. It’s fun to listen to. However, “We Ride on Sunbeams” is a song out-of-place on an album filled with angry guitars and lots of background screaming. With a laid back rhythm, a tambourine, and “aahs” sung by a chorus, “We Ride on Sunbeams” is simply Weezer-esque. Lead singer Ian Musgrove’s vocals are smooth all the way through. So it’s unlike all the rest of the songs, but is it good? Yes. It’s catchy and even cute. I like that these guys aren’t just screaming tragedy in every song, they have the kind of talent that transcends moods.

The screaming never gets too out of hand, Musgrove has some nice vocal chords, the drums are crackling all over the place, and the guitars are ready for battle. It’s kind of sad that there are only four songs on the CD. I wanted to keep listening. The last song, “Smoke and Mirrors” drives the album home with a two-minute-plus instrumental bravado with clean piano backing it up. Fire Divine creates an EP that’s smart all around and makes me wish that other bands had at least a fraction of Fire Divine’s talent before recording.
(PO Box 36939 Charlotte, NC 28236)