What’s the only art form snobbier than music? Film! Okay, overarching stereotype, even though Shock Cinema did meet at a “Universal Order of the Cinematic Mind” meeting and have entitled Our Way is Revenge’s second track “Art of Noir,” sung in Brooklyn’s official language, French. Luckily, Shock Cinema have credentials to back their image up. After about a year of riding buzz generated from the members’ other projects (…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, The Rogers Sisters), Shock Cinema have finally begun to stand on their own feet. The latest Pop Montreal sampler featured the band’s most recognizable single, “Breathe Again,” and mostly favorable reviews from a handful of zines have continued to drizzle kerosene on the fire.
Overall, the band’s 28-minute effort is a mixed bag of quality. The relentless fury of “Breathe Again” isn’t matched again until “Death in Texas,” which fades fast into Giovanni Marks’ dub remix of the album’s most predictable track, “Art of Noir.” The same guitar tone on each track doesn’t do much to cover up the holes, and neither do the often esoteric song lyrics. Although the songwriting isn’t as consistent as the energy, Our Way is Revenge fits snugly into the early efforts of other post-punk big wigs. You may have forgotten, but half of Fever to Tell completely sucked too, so I’m more than willing to cut Shock Cinema some slack. The album foreshadows a bright future from a conglomeration of talented performers and image-reapers and is a logical predecessor to an inventive follow-up later this year. Just no more French, please.
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