Customer Reviews

Thirty Degrees Everywhere

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I, like most independent music fans take much pleasure from the warm, surrounding sound of analog tape. I don't know if The Promise Ring officially use magnetic tape as their standard, but the warmth and comfort this recording brings is surpased by none. Some people (you know who you are) shun anything The Promise Ring has done since Nothing Feels Good. I think the band has just elvolved and become a much more complex group with interesting melodies and lyrics. Stand out tracks; "A Picture Postcard" and "Heart of a Broken Story." 30 Degrees from Everywhere is most deffinatly an album that is best when listened from start to end in one sitting. That is my review.

The first time I listened to this CD, I melted. And I listened to it almost continuously for about two months. This is one of the most heart-rending-yet-strangely-catchy collections of semi-poppy post-emo indie ever made. However, there's a disclaimer. If you're reading this and thinking "Hey, emo. Yeah, I love Dashboard and Weezer and the Ataris." Stop right here, because you're going to freaking hate this album.

My favorite part of it is the total absence of any refinement. Yeah, that sounds awful, but the riffs and vocals maintain a refreshing rawness that was kind of lost in later TPR albums. The vocals are a little off-key, scratchy, crack occasionally... perfect. And it's here where you'll see the prime example of the build-up-to-a-scream song. They do this genre like no one else I've ever heard, except maybe SDRE on diary.

While I noticed that this got a lot of comparisons to that album, and I agree that they'll probably appeal to the same people, "30 degrees" isn't quite so... dark. It's summertime music. It'll make you happy, but not so happy that you'll stop being a brooding angsty emo kid. So go on out and purchase this. It'll stay in your CD player for at least a couple of weeks.

regardless of the previous reviews, i thought it was a great example of emo. i think they did awesome on this record, and i couldnt ask for anything more. this is what emo is all about.

The Promise Ring has changed. This album is really all you'll ever need. I used to think the power of failing could sate all of my tastes, but this is it. I love the promise ring, and this is the best that they have for me. The horse latitudes is awesome too. The new stuff definately keeps my head bobbing and my throat scratchy from singing my lungs out, but 30 degrees really has all the range of emotions. Sea of Cortez, My firetower flame. All of these songs are great!! I could talk about them for a while, but i'll stop. I hate to see the division in the fan base of the promise ring, but it's true they are different now, but I still like them.

The best thing about the Promise Ring is their beautiful poetic lyrics. It is worth the price for the CD liner notes alone that contain them. It is too bad that the vocals are turned down so much, although filling in the ideas on your own and slowly discovering the words I guess can add to the emotional experience of the song. The music on this disc is strangely intense and mellow at the same time. It is the only emo I've purchased that makes good background music. The songs are whatever you want them to be, and open to wide interpretation because of the abstract lyrics. One final note- if you are interested in the emotional side of the Promise Ring, get this CD or The Horse Latitudes. Any of their music produced after this is repetitive pop/punk.

This record took me a long time to appreciate. After months and months of on-off listening and being baffled, one day it all started to make sense.

What makes the album a turn-off at first is not hard to discern at all: whiny, back-of-the-mix vocals (talk about a mixed blessing there), songs that seem to drag, strange lyrics, relatively sub-par production, often familiar guitar riffs ... the list goes on. But SEVERE repeated listens reveal some profound qualities: first, the vocals and lyrics grow on you; second, the song structures, chord changes, and instrumentation are really pretty amazing; and finally, the record as a whole inspires a variety of emotions which, in retrospect, neither the Ring's later records, nor very many records whatsoever, can achieve.

A key point here is that TRYING to find greatness in a record that others praise can create problems. If you are determined to figure out why this is a tremendous record, then you may never succeed; I only began liking 30 deg. after giving up on this exact goal several times.

That said, I would not recommend this to everyone. If you're looking for catchy punk/pop/emo/indie/whatever music, check out "Very Emergency" or "Nothing Feels Good" (certainly not terrible records :). If you want a real challenge, try this album.

This is the most perfect album that the Promise Ring ever made. It's the perfect mix of their sometimes weird noise and rhythms and their pop side. Nearly ever emo pop band and even some punk bands are copying the rhythms from this album.
"Red Paint" "Sea of Cortez" and " A Picture Postcard" are three of the greatest songs ever written. This songs are catchy and build-up, becoming catchier and catchier.
TPR was obviously influenced by the build-ups of Sunny Day and was very influenced by Cap'n Jazz, whom Davey was a member of. But they are poppier than SDRE and are more listenable than Cap'n Jazz.
If you like bands like the Get-Up Kids, Saves the Day, Juliana Theory, etc...even Sparta, listen to this and you'll see where it came from.

This is the CD that so many current emo bands were inspired by [and frequently rip off of]. The Promise Ring remain one of the foremost pop-punk/emo bands around, and this debut CD is still their best. Straightforward, catchy, and undeniable -- this CD moves from deeply emotional melodies [the wonderful "A Picture Postcard"] to the kind of frenetic punk beats that dare you to jump up and down ["Red Paint", "Everywhere in Denver"]. This band is automatically likeable, and this CD is the best indication as to why -- very highly recommended.

I'm from Milwaukee, WI (Home of the Promise Ring), I've seen them many, many times. They never cease to amaze me. This cd really captures the aesthetic value of their music. Stuff to listen to when thinking about that girl you always liked but was too scared to ask out. Make sure to have your emo sweater on when you listen to this one..these guys wear emo on their sleeves..

The Promise Ring manage to sing about any weird thing to mexican chocolate to cherry coke to their favorite sweaters to cortex. Some may say it's irrevelant, but I call it funny lyrics with gentle indie riffage and what some coin "emo". Buy it if you like.