Track Review: "Lifesaver"

Artist: Burglary Years
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Label: Independent

Note: This review is part of a series of single reviews by Ryan coming out this week leading up to a show on Friday June 21 at the Lilypad in Cambridge, MA, which will feature performances by all the bands reviewed.

Burglary Years is a dream pop/shoegaze band from Boston. Their song “Lifesaver” is among their higher energy tracks, employing an infectious sound. The song is repetitive, which is characteristic of the genre, but uses subtle changes to keep it captivating. The lyrics deal with a breakup, or a similar situation, but the writer approaches it from a thoughtful, mature perspective. While not whiny, it is somewhat depressing. The sound itself is that of big guitar and consistent drumming, maintaining a high energy wall of sound throughout the piece. It doesn’t really go anywhere until the outro, which is beautifully done by a single guitarist using a multitude of effects. On their “about” page on Facebook they list several bands as influences, including My Bloody Valentine and The Smiths. This influence is wonderfully apparent and the band succeeds in combining different styles to create dynamic music in a genre that is often criticized for being stale. If anything, I’d like the singer to bring out a more tortured tone; he sings in a sad style but I feel like he could do more with it. The bassist could have more input as well, but it is normal for the low end to get buried under guitar in this style of music. Burglary Years undoubtedly succeeds in producing dynamic, interesting music.

- Ryan Noss