So Divided attempts to unify the Austin outfit's operatic songcraft with the urgency of their "Days of Being Wild" to unlock 2003's The Secret of Elena's Tomb EP and overcome the trappings of the previous year's brilliant Source Tags and Codes, from which those days sprung.
Its artistic detours are even more jarring than those of Worlds Apart. The good news is that its quality is far less erratic. The bad news is the reason why: it's almost uniformly awful.
This CD is one of the most brilliantly arranged recordings I've heard in a while. Very pretty melodies and deep lyrics. I am not This CD is one of the most brilliantly arranged recordings I've heard in a while. Very pretty melodies and deep lyrics. I am not surprised by many of the bad reviews. Most people are idiots. Remember the average IQ in this country is 100. That means that HALF the people must be below 100 to balance out all those ABOVE 100. Most reviews talk about Source Tags and Codes. It was a great album. So was "Aftermath" by The Rolling Stones, but there were a whole bunch a people that hated "Exile on Main Street" when that came out. Like I sadi people are IDIOTS. They want the same shit played over and over and over and over. Everything on the radio sounds the same. Indie rock sounds the same. Same mic placements for recording drums and guitars. Same fucking voices. same fucking clothes on all the rock stars. Like I said, I'm not surprised that people didn't like this album. People actually care what pitchfork tells them. All the bad reviews are from just a bunch of small IQ, sheep that wish they could play in a band as cool as Trail of Dead. I am seeing them in Portland in a few weeks and I will be on the front row.…Expand
I really don't know if the critics have listened to the same record I have because I find So Divided to be grand, majestic and melodic. I really don't know if the critics have listened to the same record I have because I find So Divided to be grand, majestic and melodic. Sure, it's not as noisy as Source Codes but this feels to me like a mature and powerful recording that focuses on Trail of Dead's unique, haunting and beautiful melodies. Highly recommended.…Collapse
Trail of Dead have jumped the shark? I thought the phrase "jumped the shark" had jumped the shark. I'm not even sure Tom knows what that Trail of Dead have jumped the shark? I thought the phrase "jumped the shark" had jumped the shark. I'm not even sure Tom knows what that saying means. So, TOD are after a different sound than the post-punk indie fare that earned them an emphatic fanbase. Well, fine with me. This is a band that has always written and arranged with a sense of adventure and novelty. And this album continues to reveal a band with no desire to please any petty indie kids or Pitchfork's dumbass schoolyard mentality. Anyway, this album really rewards an open mind and multiple listens. I don't expect everyone to like it, but I'm particularly irritated with reviews that maintain this album is some terrible mess or sellout. It's melodic, adventerous, dynamic, and interested in new possibilties. I wish far more albums could be described that way, yet most everything I hear is more fashion statement that genuine musical expression. Sure, the album contains a few missteps, but so does The White Album, Led Zeppelin II, or whatever other classic album you could name. The better albums will take risks, and even negative reviews should be pitched in a way that encourages that kind of risk rather than crying about it.…Expand
I'm baffled by the lukewarm responses that critics have been shelling out for So Divided. This album is certainly an improvement over I'm baffled by the lukewarm responses that critics have been shelling out for So Divided. This album is certainly an improvement over the horrendous Worlds Apart, and returns to the grandiosity of Source Tags & Codes. While ST&C was anthemic in all stages of the record, So Divided is more eclectic in tone, with many songs sounding unlike anything ToD has done before. "Sunken Dreams", the final track, is one of the best closers I've ever heard.…Expand
I originally started listening to ...Trail of Dead after hearing 'Another Morning Stoner' which was one of the most original tracks I originally started listening to ...Trail of Dead after hearing 'Another Morning Stoner' which was one of the most original tracks I'd heard in a long time. I was similarly impressed when I dug back in their catalogue pre-'Source Tags and Codes' to find that they were even louder and more wall-of-sound in their previous releases. With 'Worlds Apart' it seemed like a step to the side with the retention of furious drumming but with an added degree of melody and orchestration. While it worked then, 'So Divided' seems to have dropped the furious-anger-and-vengeance-to-all sound while dropping the harmony and musicalities of 'Worlds Apart.' It's certainly not a bad album, but I expected a lot more. A lot of the tracks sound rambling without actually reaching a conclusion. As someone who thoroughly enjoys Mogwai, Isis and other post-rock/punk outings, I was still let down. I feel divided between wanting to hear an explosive riff and the band eeking out a great melodic line. Unfortunately, 'So Divided' finds neither and sinks into generic rock far too often. This is a review completed after 3 listens, so maybe I should take a backseat and give the album a few more listens before drawing any final conclusions.…Expand
Nice to see the NME way wide of the mark as usual - Trail of Dead at their peak were never about 'propulsive pop-rock'. This album Nice to see the NME way wide of the mark as usual - Trail of Dead at their peak were never about 'propulsive pop-rock'. This album is a confused, empty and over-produced mess, big on bombast but with no heart whatsoever. Stylus was spot on, So Divided is utter drivel and even worse than Worlds Apart. Trail of Dead have well and truly jumped the shark.…Expand
