A more nimble OFF WITH THE HEADS, or a clumsier LAWRENCE ARMS.

There are RIYLs. LATTERMAN is in there, somewhere, like a haunting, watchful shadow. Those RIYLs are mostly right. Cande Ru Las Degas (talk about a title that throws the curve on the spell check) sounds like the next logical step from the band that released Dismount. But there’s something heavily reminiscent of another Red Scare band and that is THE MENZINGERS, circa An Abuse Of Information Technology. It’s not all gold, but what’s there is super promising. If THE HOLY MESS had just released “Within Range Of A Raven” through “Hospitals”, this would be the greatest EP of the year, hands down.

Over a beer with Toby Jeg, I said that “Hospitals” is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard about that anonimizing feeling of being in a hospital and waiting for a man in white to tell you if you’re okay or not. I stand by that. I also told him that “Hospitals” goes shoulder to shoulder with “Paper Thin” and “Jackie Lee” for songs about the subject matter. I’d back off from that a little now, if I was forced. (On par with “Jackie Lee” but beneath “Paper Thin,” if you were wondering.) “Hospitals” is my favorite song on Cande Ru Las Degas, though. What follows it is kind of a let down. “Asleep In A Room Full of Dogshit” is about four minutes and feels twice that long. “Half Of That And Dublin” is better, but not entirely redemptive. “A Song For Tim Browne To Sing,” however, is four minutes and feels like two, it sounds so good.

I think my thoughts boil down to I like the fast songs, I’m put off by the slow songs. After listening to Cande Ru Las Degas, I felt the same way I felt after hearing Dismount: I’m psyched to hear what’s coming next. I was hoping for something more solidly in the like column, but I believe this is THE HOLY MESS’ first full-length. Next time, I suppose.

Redscare