Decibully - City of Festivals (Polyvinyl)

Reviewed by Mark Oster

Let me set the record straight right now. I find the modern brand of crybaby emo extremely one sided and flaccid. Even the most recent work of Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service, which has every hipster reviewer on the planet cumming themselves, doesn't do anything for me, whiny emo with some whistles and bells. But I love this Milwaukee septuplet's "City of Festivals". Combining the shoe gazer element that defines the aforementioned breed of emo with a C&W instrumentation that includes, but is not limited to, banjo, acoustic guitar, Rhodes organ, and harmonica, Decibully crafts songs that drip with genuine emotion and create exciting soundscapes that haven't been done dozens of times already by so many of their peers. The vocals remind me of alot of Jeremy Enigk in it's flourishes and tones, and is frequently backed by an angelic sounding chorus behind him. If you are impressed by Death Cab and Postal Service, then you should check these guys out, if you aren't, but dug Sunny Day Real Estate and Promise Ring (a couple of Decibullies hail from a later incarnation), I would recommend checking this out.

Originally posted in Issue 1.1, August 2004