The occasional cello, female voice, and Nintendo blip add variety to this Virginia quartet’s already diverse sound. Excitebike epitomize what all emocore needs to achieve–decent balance between passionate singing and screaming, “pretty” parts that actually sound pretty, catchy yet subversive songwriting, and instrumentation that keeps the metal to a minimum. Lyrics display a true passion necessary to play such intense music, and vocalists Nathan Altice and William Cole unfurl an awesome vulnerability without getting weepy or cheesy. The ardor with which they sing lines like “I walk into your house while everyone’s sleeping / I crawl into your bed so I can begin healing” (“Standard Candle”) almost fools you into thinking the term emo actually means something.
Action Attack Helicopter
Excitebike epitomize what all emocore needs to achieve–decent balance between passionate singing and screaming, catchy yet subversive songwriting, and instrumentation that keeps the metal to a minimum.
