The Mall, Emergency at the Everyday

Hyperactive hardcore that you can dance to is what fuels this San Francisco trio, and that’s exactly what they deliver. Snazzy, catchy synth beats drag you in, and rambling guitars cause you to stay. But the longer you listen to the Mall, the more and more it starts to feel like the same song over and over, with just a few variations. It makes me feel like I’m playing a modern version of “Spot the Differences” but instead of reading it in the morning paper, it’s streaming into my ears from an iPod. Despite the repetition, though, they still manage to keep things interesting with artsy/experimental harmonies, addictive Casio beats that soar over fanatical drum assaults, and random seizure-inducing guitar attacks that lay scattered amongst the short-lived songs (the longest track is 2 minutes and 14 seconds, and the shortest and craziest clocks in at a mere 17 seconds). While the vocals on this CD just do not cut it for me (you can’t hear a thing singer Ellery Samson says; it’s muted and muffled ’til it just sounds like another instrument, which is actually pretty cool in its own way), overall Emergency at the Everyday is a hodgepodge of hardcore, ADD, and hints of Indietronica, all blended together like a true masterpiece.