It’s been 8 years since the last full release from Long Island’s Glassjaw, but their recent activity has more than made up for their absence and is what you can hope a sign of things to come in the not too distant future. The latest of 2 EP’s, Coloring Book, is a collection of dark and melodic tracks that not only redefine their sound, but also remind (and reinforce) why so much of those 8 years were spent in anticipation of a new release.
I was very fortunate to be handed a copy of Coloring Book several weeks ago during a business trip to MerchDirect. With business matters handled, I made my way out of the building and across the parking lot to my Jeep; the shrink wrap was off of the CD case long before I even had my keys out. With Coloring Book in my dash and the volume turned up, I started my drive home.
The EP’s first track, Black Nurse, begins with Durijah Lang’s powerful drumming, immediately followed by Justin Beck’s guitar.
“Oh fuck.”
That’s the first thought that ran through my mind. This isn’t the Glassjaw of the last decade – this is something different. It’s like the band was placed in an Oak cask to mature and develop layers of complexity, resulting in a heaver, groove-oriented sound. Daryl Palumbo’s vocals are as expected, although somewhat subdued when compared to earlier releases. It feels like there’s a deliberate exercise in restraint in his range on the tracks, and it works well. You can’t not get chills listening to him sing the chorus on Vanilla Poltergeist Snake:
No one gets out alive
No one.
The EP takes a hold of you from it’s powerful opening straight through its mostly subdued close, Daytona White. The last few notes of Manny Carrero’s bass rang out just as I was pulling in to my driveway, followed by a low buzzing tone. I blew out a speaker. That’s just how good this EP is. Get it if you can.
Track Listing:
- Black Nurse
- Gold
- Vanilla Poltergeist Snake
- Miracle In Inches
- Stations Of The New Cross
- Daytona White
