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The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses Hot

Sunday, 09 December 2007

Editor's rating

7.4

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
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Sunday, 09 December 2007
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Don't Get Blood On My Prada Shoes
02. Jesus & Tori
03. Document - Grace Budd
04. Blue Dress
05. If These Bullets Could Talk
06. Bambi The Hooker And A Case Of Beer
07. Empty Calm
08. Civeta Dei

Artist: The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Title: Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses
Genre: Progressive Metal • Alternative
Release Date: 10 October 2006
Record Label: ECA Records
Format: EP
Country: United States of America
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The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses

2006 re-release. Originally released in 2003.

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Editor review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		7.4
Musicianship		7.0
Composition		7.0
Experimentation		8.0
Production		7.0
Value		8.0

Fearless webmaster Paul first told me about Number Twelve in this way: it's good technical screamo. I then told him that I'd never heard the words "good" and "screamo" and even "technical" in the same sentence. This album needed to be given a shot. What we have here is a strange collage of grind, hardcore, tech and, yes, screamo. Paul wasn't fooling about that part, but he was also right in the facts that it was both technical and good. At first listen, it was like Psyopus kidnapped The Blood Brothers and then they had a kid. It's very fascinating.

This is a very musically diverse album. "Don't Get Blood On My Prada Shoes," my personal favorite track, is extremely noisy and chaotic technical grind. Few bands do this better than Number Twelve on this song. It's a short 1:36 and every second is priceless. It also remains one of the band's biggest crowd hits. The acoustic, serene "Empty Calm" really showcases the lead guitarist's compositional skill. It's extremely well-written and played; it helps with the overall theme of the record. In fact, when I listen to this record, the first couple songs feel more and more out-of-place as the album plays on. "Civeta Dei," the closer, plays like a heavy math rock song rather than the frenzied technical grind of track one. Most of the album has a distinct indie rock feel, only it's technical and noisy. Perhaps the screamo parts help the album more than I can tell.

There is a very important, group-defining aspect of Number 12 that I can't figure out: why the screamo? The screamo parts are usually done so poorly and nearly to the point of self-parody. The part where they first come in is 2:02 through "Jesus & Tori." The vocals are nasal and lack polish, and the layered screaming on top of it just makes it seem more awkward than it already does. They seem to get better as the record gets along, but it's an element of this band's music that can't exist any other way. To the band's credit, the screamo vocals get much better with each progressive album. Another slight downside of the record is "If These Bullets Could Talk," which is extremely generic metalcore.

This EP's re-issue, as the original run went quickly out of print, won't cost you that much money and is highly recommended as an intriguing variation on technical music. Even if you don't like indie or screamo, you would be doing this band and yourself a disservice. If you want to experiment with a different kind of tech music or perhaps bring a hipster indie kid over, get this album. You won't be disappointed.

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