Courtesy: Long Branch Records
Emo rock band Kid Dad officially made its debut this week. The band released its debut album In A Box Friday through Long Branch Records. The 11-song album is a work that while maybe doesn’t stand out is still a presentation that will appeal to the most devoted emo fans. That is thanks to its musical and lyrical content. One of the songs that makes the 33-minute album appealing to those listeners comes in the form of its single ‘A Prison Unseen.’ It will be addressed shortly. ‘Limbo,’ another of the album’s single, also does well to show why the band’s target audience will appreciate the record. It will be addressed a little later. ‘Window,’ which comes just past the album’s midpoint, is one more way in which the record’s overall content stands out. When it is considered along with ‘Limbo,’ ‘A Prison Unseen’ and the rest of the album’s songs, that whole makes In A Box that though it stays in the emo box, is still a work that will appeal to the band’s target audiences.
Kid Dad’s debut album In A Box is a presentation that fans of the genre will find appealing. That is thanks to its musical and lyrical content. Its single ‘A Prison Unseen’ is one of the works featured in the album that serves to support the noted statement. The juxtaposition of its heavy choruses and more reserved verses in itself will engage listeners. The more powerful choruses, with their wall of sound approach, set against the more reserved verses makes for its own strong statement from the band. It is an approach that will appeal to fans of Kid Dad’s fellow emo acts, Taking Back Sunday, Finch, and The Get Up Kids. The back and forth of that energy serves well to illustrate the emotion in the song’s lyrical theme, which according to front man Marius Vieth, “is about loss of control and a lack of self restraint that can be invisible to the world around you. In other words, it is a song that tackles the very real and important issue of mental health.
The noted theme is discussed as Vieth sings in the song’s lead verse, “ugly hair and smoky eyes/Glazy stare like you were crying/What did I do to you?/Alter me and build me new.” He continues in the song’s second verse, “You’re burning my retina/With the smile that I forgot you had/I do not fantasize/No no no/I do not fantasize.” From there, Vieth stresses repeatedly as the song nears its end, “I’m caged in a prison unseen.” This is the final and most telling statement in this song. It is that proverbial accent to the overall statement; the climax so to speak. As Vieth pointed out, “The protagonist puts his threatened mental well-being over his physical body and embraces the possibility of an utter loss of his senses.” This is a powerful thought to comprehend. It is easily a starting point on discussions about mental health. To that end, this couples with the song’s equally engaging musical arrangement to make the song in whole a clear example of what makes In A Box stand out in this year’s field of new emo releases. It is just one of the songs that serves as a strong point for the album. ‘Limbo,’ which is another of the album’s singles, is another way in which the album proves itself worth hearing.
‘Limbo’ is the second single from Kid Dad’s new album. The song’s musical arrangement starts out steady and slightly reserved, but gradually builds over the course of its almost three-and-a-half-minute run time, with occasional flashes in its choruses. The subtlety in Vieth’s vocal delivery style couples with the steady time keeping (which serves as the song’s real foundation here) adds so much depth to the song. The addition of the guitar and bass to the mix adds to that impact, enriching the arrangement even more. The nature of the song’s arrangement helps to illustrate the song’s lyrical theme, which takes on the topic o domestic abuse. Vieth explained the song’s lyrical theme, stating, it is about “being caught between uncertainty and fear, searching for something real to hold onto, in search of hope.”
That message is illustrated partially in the song’s lead verse as Vieth sings, “Strangers hiding under the familiar/Even though I’m changing, aging/They keep getting stranger/Is this who I really want them to be?” He continues in the song’s second verse, find me hiding underneath the paper/Caught myself in danger/Made of something unfamiliar/This is what I really want/But what for?/What for?/Cut me out a reason to feel better than before.” Even with all of the deep thoughts and feelings, the song ends positively with Vieth singing, “But I can’t lie/Better than, better than before.” So it reminds audiences that even in those situations involving domestic violence, there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. It’s just one more of the album’s most notable songs. ‘Window’ is another key addition to the record.
‘Window’ is another full-on emo type arrangement. It is yet another of those soft/strong/soft/strong compositions that are so commonplace on this record. The verses are softer and more contemplative in nature while the choruses are more fiery. The song’s lyrical content seems to add to that standard emo lyrical approach.
Vieth sings in the song’s lead verse, “I added a smile/To the pale reflection on my window glass/I stare for a while, a while until I’m tired/Will you be tired too?/Who lives in a box?/Just a lonely stranger?/Anyone I know?/No one’s alone like me until I die.” He continues in the song’s second verse, “The paper boat drowned/To the bottom of the lake that’s in my mind/It’s killing the sound for now/Until I hear screaming.” He adds in the song’s third and final verse, “There’s only darkness hiding behind these eyes/Only darkness hiding behind this smile/You learn to love your doom/Learn to love your doom.” Again, this is typical of so many emo songs, lyrically speaking. This is something that will connect with listeners who perhaps are feeling the same thoughts and emotions that are being expressed here. To that end, it proves, again, why it is another of the album’s standout works. When it is considered along with the other songs noted here and the rest of the album’s songs, they make the whole of the album even more clearly appealing for the band’s target emo audiences.
Kid Dad’s debut album In A Box doesn’t necessarily think too much outside the emo box. Even despite that, it is still a work that will appeal to fans of that genre. That is proven throughout the record, most notably through the songs addressed here. When those songs are considered along with the rest of the album’s songs, that collective makes the album a work that holds its own against the rest of this year’s current slate of emo albums. It is available now through Longbranch Records.
More information on Kid Dad’s new single and album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: http://www.kid-dad.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kiddadband
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kiddaddudes
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