Demure

Engine Down | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 1, 2002)
• Original Release Date: April 1, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Lovitt Records
• ASIN: B000063S57
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,592 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Engine Down formed in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 1996, and have since relocated to Richmond, Virginia. This innovative quartet sprang out of such bands as Sleepytime Trio, The Weak Link Breaks, and Bughummer.

The foursome have truly come a long way, displaying that they are not afraid to take their sound to new limits with interesting instrumentation (e.g. piano, cello, vibraphone) while at the same time maintaining a dynamic and intense energy. The intrigue of this band lies in the fact that their successive works always incorporate fresh, novel sounds – it's quite easy to trace their ascent to maturity from early works to their latest full-length effort, Demure.

The band has no qualms about pushing against and recklessly crossing the parameters of a monotonous post-rock tradition; they execute a musical excellence that will doubtlessly capture a wide swath of listeners for a long time to come. This energy has captivated an enthusiastic audience: the band charted in CMJ's Top 20 for eight weeks.

Engine Down have toured and played with such diverse luminaries as Four Hundred Years, The Mercury Program, Milemarker, and the Locust and have no intention to stop. They completed a full European tour in fall 2001 and plan to tour Japan, the US, and Europe again in 2002.

Over time, Engine Down's sound has matured into a force not content with the now tired boundaries of hardcore or "emo." Rather, Engine Down continue to hone their craft, surprising listeners with unexpected instruments and song structures.

Product Description

After growing steadily behind two critically embraced and well-received albums, Engine Down present Demure, a full-length that will surprise their most ardent fans yet remain inviting and accessible to those unfamiliar with their efforts to date. Demure captures an intriguing level of introspection only subtly hinted at in previous work, and the underlying pattern throughout the album is efficiency. The group's approach towards their third full-length is that of repetitious, droning guitars complemented by simplistic syncopation. The soaring, reedy vocals of Keeley Davis stand monolithic and solitary, anchors for many songs on Demure. For Engine Down to wrench such complex passion out of a self-imposed limited sonic palette is truly an accomplishment.

However, to dismiss Demure as a somber, sullen, or understated work would be an injustice. The group's most recent metamorphosis removes the volatile flare of earlier incarnations, and the energy once used to produce the bright flash of earlier albums now is harnessed for an urgency underlying each part of the album. This makes Demure more than a mere collection of ten songs. Engine Down smartly dares the listener to find the complexities mired within the full-length by defacing many of the expected guides of dynamic contrast or bombastic yells typically used to convey earnestness or passion.

The beauty of this third full-length is its deceptive plainness, allowing for different interpretations upon the first or the tenth listen. Casual and knowledgeable listeners alike will find the steady rhythmic blink and contemplative drive alluring. Demure is a hypnotic, gorgeously crafted venture created by four individuals who realize that sometimes the best way to showcase talent is to subdue it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ., December 21, 2002

By 

Scott Heisel (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Demure (Audio CD)

Engine Down are a sort of indie rock anomaly. The band started off sounding quite different than their current sound, rising out of the ashes of Virginia's highly underappreciated Sleepytime Trio. Their early style was one that passerby would consider "screamo" - that is, the band was screamy and emotional. The vocals were akin to Florida's I Hate Myself and Twelve Hour Turn, among others, but the music, while spazzy at times, definitely allowed listeners to catch a glimpse into the band's future. While most bands of this style seemed to more or less just tell their bassist and drummer to play as fast and chaotic as possible, Engine Down's rhythms pulsated with the flow of the song, never getting too ahead of itself. Frontman Keeley Davis even let his vocals come out normally on a few early songs, though on most songs he was relegated to screaming duty.

So the band put out one 7" and their debut full length, "Under The Pretense of Present Tense," and life seemed good. They were getting a ton of buzz from the hipper-than-thou crew in everyone's scene, it seemed. But the band wasn't content with their sound. So the evolution began with their second LP, "To Bury Within The Sound." Their new sound was one more rhythmically dense, and Keeley finally dropped the screaming act altogether, as his voice soared over the beautifully layered instruments beneath him. For the second album in a row, though, the music suffered at the recording itself. The bass seemed completely lost on this album, and, while the vocals were cleaner than on the first album, they still needed work.

So this brings us to "Demure," Engine Down's latest effort. Right from the start the album cures the recording problem - everything on here sounds crisp, clear, and as defined as ever. The music has become more subdued, but at the same time it has taken on a new life. At times the drums and bass sound almost tribal, and you can't help but get caught up in the pulsating rhythms of songs like "Pantomime" and "Second Of February." Davis' vocals have matured significantly, as evident on tracks like "Detour" and the pounding "Taken In." The penultimate track, "Closed Call," is a beautiful ballad featuring Keeley dueting with his sister Maura. The track could have been on Denali's CD, as it has a very similar sound [Denali is Keeley's side project, Maura is the singer].

The press release for this says that "[T]he group's approach towards their third full-length is that of repetitious, droning guitars complemented by simplistic syncopation." As I first read that, it sounds almost like an insult to the music, but then I realize that the album *is* simple, so simple that you're deceived by it. You know that they're not playing anything hard on this album, and you know other post-hardcore bands who can keep up with this, but the more you listen, the more you're intrigued. The group takes the simplest sounds and turns them into 10 individual mini-opuses, each complete with ebbs and swells. This is talent at it's most basic and at it's most refined. This is the paradox that is Engine Down.

5.0 out of 5 stars superb, December 17, 2004

By 

nunya - See all my reviews

This review is from: Demure (Audio CD)

This album is great just like the prior two...want good music? Buy this album and the prior two. Extremely chill and melodic in a very simple sense. They don't do to much, they don't do to little...it's a perfect blend with the vocals coasting across the as if the music were a sheet of ice...

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT ALBUM!, August 12, 2004

By 

MvH ((un)United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Demure (Audio CD)

There's not a great deal that needs to be said 'bout "Demure" except that it's a great album. Coming across a lil' like Sunnyday Real Estate, it's not very heavy (in a distorted kinda way), but the song structure & dynamics are incredible. I'm surprised this band isn't a lot bigger, but then again, know-one ever said the nice guys were gonna finish first.