I count myself fortunate to have been amongst the all too few to have seen and appreciated the post-hardcore stylings of Newcastle’s The Let-Go!. The band sadly broke up earlier this year, just as they were approaching some semblance of notoriety. A limited edition cassette and as yet released EP may be the only remnants of a brief but blistering existence, yet it is the blurry memories of a slew of late-night gigs that I will cherish mostly.
Fast-forward six months, and three-fifths of The Let-Go are now James Dean. With a new drummer and an altogether stronger sense of unity, the band has honed a more refined sound; still confronting, but with the onus on atmospherics and dynamics rather than the all-out aural attack of previous work. Only a few shows into being James Dean are already proving a caustic célèbre on the local DIY scene.
The first fruit of this new legacy is out now. The James Dean CD-R comes packaged in a delightful handmade cardboard sleeve, limited to 100, and the music contained is just as roughly hewn.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on the band as they recorded the five tracks in the studio a couple of months ago. I was also there on the night of their first show when they received a copy of the first mix, only to come away disappointed and somewhat disenchanted with their recording experience. So on to the drummer Travis' house (affectionately known as Tighes Hill Bakery) they went – where I was inexplicably absent! In one night the band came away with a self-produced product infinitely more satisfying than the one they had spent several hundreds dollars on. The results are spectacular.
With a 7-inch to follow soon, as well as a show with Italy’s hardcore heavyweights La Quiete and a slot at Brisbane’s No Culture Festival, James Dean look likely to forge a reputation as rebels with a very good cause.
James Dean - In The Hospital (mp3)
James Dean - Turn This Iron Handle (mp3)
James Dean @ MySpace
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