Light a Match for I Deserve to Burn by The Beautiful Mistake (Review)
The Beautiful Mistake is exemplar of a new breed of bands. For starters, these kids posted their creations on MP3.com. Eventually, they gained enough clicks from browsers (the people kind) and attention from labels that they inked a deal with the hip new Militia Group before they even went on tour.
That being said, the album needs improvement, mainly because it comes off a bit bland. The artwork is really quite attractive and probably the latest in graphic design technology, with burning heads that look like matches; inside are the transparent sheaths that play tricks on the viewer.
Lyrically, the album’s inspiration ranges from CCM giants to post-Sunny Day Real Estate emo outfits from the latter half of the 90s. Sonically, The Beautiful Mistake is a clichéd culmination of everything currently happening in the musical underground. Imagine a mix of Further Seems Forever (a combination of Carraba and Gleason), Thrice, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Finch, Rescue and whatever other genre-mixing amalgam you can think of.
Background screaming vocals on a pop record can be absolutely annoying, and the vox on this album are no exception: the howls detract from the ambitious young ones’ endeavors. Josh Hagquist’s lead vocals are indistinguishable, not in delivering the actual words but in their punch and originality. Hagquist sounds like a great singer, just not a rock n’ roll one.
Light a Match For I Desire to Burn is an outlandishly emo title, and along with their clever band name, the Mistake has a package that screams “I’m fiery hot, buy me at Hot Topic” before you even hear the music. I am probably being way too hard on these guys, because at times, streaks of musical sunshine pop through the clouds. However, they’re ruined by overly-contrived lyrics and/or hardcore vocals that feel completely out of order.
Written by Jeffrey Ellinger.