Reviews for I WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE YOU TO SOMEONE
"Brilliant Fourth Album From New York Post-Hardcore Mob: If you were
describing this, Crime In Stereo's fourth album, to someone, you'd
probably reference the post-hardcore quirks fo Brand New, the
jittery dynamics of Million Dead, and a bit of Nirvana's tattered
charm. Songs switch between sweet melody and serrated, buzzing
guitars in a heartbeat, like the way Exit Halo's dirty, bass-driven
verse gives way to a huge, grungey chorus, or how the two note
opening riff of Young soaks the song in heaviness, before taking a
crooked turn into light, summery territory. It all works
brilliantly, the twists and turns giving it an unpredictable edge,
and the rawness ensures that, like Nirvana's IN UTERO, Crime In
Stereo strike a wonderful balance between nice and nasty.
Hopefully, this'll lift them out of the underground and onto bigger
things."
- KERRANG! (UK)
"4.5 out of 5 stars: Crime In Stereo rewrote the melodic hardcore rulebook with 2007's IS DEAD, so it figures they would junk it altogether for I WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE YOU TO SOMEONE, its equally ambitious, unpredictable follow-upCIS convey aggression and energy through a maddening array of effects pedals and the haunting, grainy tenor of Kristian Hallbert's reverberating voice, combining to form corrosive anthems embellished by space and nuance. "Drugwolf" contains the biggest chorus of the band's career to date, benefiting from a furious guitar part and soaring vocals from Hallbert (plus producer Mike Sapone's creative recording technique). The beautiful "Young" features caustic guitar shredding amid poetic, chillingly delivered lyrics. Despite noticeably jarring mood swings in "Odalisque" and "Type One", DESCRIBE's middle third is the album's most brilliant and compelling section. If the album isn't hardcore in sound, it is in spirit, from the possible police cynicism of "Drugwolf" to the Cro-Mags (and Braid) references in "Odalisque."
- ALTERNATIVE PRESS (March 2010)
"9 out of 10 stars: For a band that cut their teeth playing lightning-paced Long Island hardcore, Crime In Stereo have come a long way. There's still a throbbing hardcore vein running through this album's spine, but songs like "Drugwolf" and "Type One" have a much bigger, almost stadium-like atmosphere about them. It's a gentle beast of a record and one that is both physically and emotionally exhausting. Where '07's CRIME IN STEREO IS DEAD hinted at the band experimenting with a more progressive sound, it was nowhere near as cohesive and accomplished as this. I WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE YOU TO SOMEONE is a phenomenal album, so go out and buy it." - ROCK SOUND (UK)
"Crime in Stereo are back and expanding the traditional sense of
hardcore into something far beyond the rest of the usual. Whether
it's the mid-album "Young," or the way "Dark Island City" has been
morphed into a completely different sound wave from its original
track which appeared on 2006's The Troubled Stateside, Crime in
Stereo prevails again.From the vocal layering on "Odalisque" to
whatever-the-hell is happening in the bridge of "Type One," the
album is built well because of memorable parts, not songs as a
whole. That is the portrait of creativity. It seems today, anyone
can write a hook, but it takes a good musician to write a
progression or part that leaves a lasting impression beyond a catchy
chorus line. Music should be challenging within any genre. Crime in
Stereo has certainly set a bar amongst their peers."
- ABSOLUTEPUNK
"If this is the new hardcore, sign me up for more."
- PUNKNEWS
"I WAS TRYING is the fully realized rebirth of the band, shedding
any pretensions of how a hardcore band from Long Island should sound
and creating an epic, genre-defying album in the process. "Queue
Moderns" opens the record with distant electronics and a hypnotic
melody before exploding into a strange, noisy beast that only lasts
seconds before shifting into "Drugwolf," a song that manages to
balance a verse that matches Braid's musical prowess with Cursive's
panged vocal delivery before exploding into an epic chorus that
would make the Killers proud ? if they didn't suck. The rest of the
album continues to explore seemingly disparate inspirations, with
Silent Majority facing off against Nirvana on songs like "Not Dead"
and "Type One." Inside of each song, Crime In Stereo succeed in
defining their own sonic identity. This record is awesome."
- EXCLAIM! (Canada)
"Once known for being a melodic hardcore band, Crime In Stereo broke
through any and all genre-defining boundaries in creating DESCRIBE,
a haunting album that perfectly laces together experimental grunge-
rock with the punk roots from which the band came."
- MICKIE'S ZOO
"4.5 out of 5: I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone is in
substance just as unpredictable as Crime In Stereo has become in
recent years. Typically, when a band reinvents their sound, fans
approach a follow-up with caution. After all, how much innovation
can one band muster? But with Crime In Stereo, there’s no need for
hesitancy. Simply put, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone is a
fantastic example of immersive post-hardcore that should not be
missed."
- THE PUNK SITE
Reviews for IS DEAD
"Coming across like the illegitimate children of the superlative Jawbox, this is a near flawless collection of melodic hardcore that veers from the pulse-raising gallop of ".But You Are Vast", to the serrated dreaminess of "Small Skeletal" with a deceptively easy flow. It's the kind of record that could have come from any period in time, because it stands outside of what is fashionable, an island of creativity that will outlive its peers. Let them in, you won't regret it."
- KERRANG! (UK)
"The Shape of Hardcore to Come: IS DEAD comprises some of the most ambitious, stunning songwriting melodic hardcore has witnessed in years.Frontman Kristian Hallbert's vocal range is astounding, retaining his raspy demeanor while delivering falsetto highs and baritone lows. Lyrically, the band weave picturesque metaphors and spill forth personal and social conflicts so careful and articulate you'd think they were speech-writing for impeached politicians. Still, CIS' upbeat, melodic punk bombast remains.IS DEAD is an absolutely haunting and incredible landmark effort.
- ALTERNATIVE PRESS
"Previously a band known for putting the proverbial brick on the hardcore accelerator, CRIME IN STEREO IS DEAD sees the quintet taking a more musically adventurous path without losing touch with their hardcore roots.A great hardcore album? No, a great album, full stop. Long live Crime In Stereo."
- BIG CHEESE (UK)
"Crime In Stereo, in perhaps the most "punk" move of the year, have essentially created an album full of “F**k You’s” aimed at those looking for the same ol' same ol'. Some people are going to be mad, some are going to rejoice, and others will (incorrectly) hail IS DEAD as a revolution. In all likelihood, though, Is Dead will be a testament to those with open minds"
- ABSOLUTE PUNK
"Never trading in integrity for a bit of token heaviness, the band remain defiantly tuneful throughout yet still retain the anger to deliver the necessary punch. Each song is expertly crafted, constantly shifting dynamics between ambient melodies and fiery call-to-arms choruses, with opener "XXXX (The First Thousand Years of Solitude)" and the meaning melancholy of "Orbiter" particularly fine examples Finally, something to shout about in an increasingly stagnating scene."
- METAL HAMMER (UK)
"IS DEAD is by no means an easy listen the first time around. But that is because Crime in Stereo shatters the preconceived notions of what the new hardcore effort would sound like. The band has flexed its musical chops and the result is something new and something good. For some people, Crime in Stereo Is Dead is as true a statement as they come. For those that are willing to give it a shot, Crime in Stereo looks far from dead -- they're just truly starting."
- PUNKNEWS
