… And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead – Worlds Apart

For me, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead‘s Worlds Apart is very similar to Brand New‘s Deja Entendu. When Deja Entendu was released, and even before hand, it received tons of press and was labeled to be one of the best albums of the year by hundreds of critics and fans alike. And I found it boring. This is the same thing that’s happening with Worlds Apart. It may not be as widely spread, but every review I’ve read has showered it with praise. Even Rolling Stone called it “a heroic monster of an album.”

When I listen to it, I can’t see all the hype. The album opens up with Ode To Isis, a moving introduction with a choir chanting “Isis! Horus! Ra!” (Names of three Egyptians God). This introduction gives you a good idea of what to expect from the album. For the most part it is a slow, melodic album, driven by piano melodies with a choir and orchestra backing them up. It is a very large sound, and would probably be hard to reproduce live.

Although I can see the slight appeal the album would have for some people, I still find it somewhat boring and monotonous. It seems to just drag on, with nothing ever changing or really standing out. The one song that really sticks out is Worlds Apart, as it doesn’t follow the structure of any of the other tracks. It is a more energetic song with much stronger vocals and quicker harmonies. Overall, it is definitely the standout track of the entire album.

The most impressive thing of the album is the artwork. It doesn’t follow any guideline and each page is unique, but other then that, the album is pretty forgettable and even somewhat boring.