Midwest emo has been one of the cans of worms I’ve delved into recently. It has been easy acclimating into the raw stylings of its classic acts, coming from a place of familiarity with punk and post-punk music. While the freedom of punk philosophy allows it and post punk to explore various avenues of style without the need of professionalism, they don’t hold a candle to the sense of catharsis that is drawn out of midwest emo.
The second single released from Doglike Reflexes, the solo project of Tristan Brewer (of Jocks and Jandals fame), expresses a higher degree of vulnerability than the previously released “Honesty is for Losers.” Swapping electric guitar and a full band production to a solo guitar and synth duet, “Burning Myself on the Radiator” is stripped back and simplistic in its form, but it doesn’t sacrifice any amount of energy with the removal of instrumentation. The production lends itself to this; each element of the song—voice, guitar and keyboard—fits comfortably within their place in the mix. Each is heard with crystalline clarity, to the extent that every contact between pick and string is present and provides an essence of percussion to the track. The subtle introduction of shakers near the end of the song melts in wonderfully with the rest of the minimalistic instrumentation.
One of my favorite aspects of the song is its utilization of tension supplemented by the relations between high and low tones. Brewer floors their gas pedal from the start; opening the song with a compelling, front-leaning riff backed by an accompanying chord progression. The introduction of vocals dials the energy back by replacing the lead guitar for a short while, before returning for a call-and-response form with the rhythm guitar. The chords are strummed hard; the wrist loosely utilizing gravity to emphasize its fall before leading to a short rest and a melodic line. The melody comes off as stunted with the continual disturbance of the backing rhythm. However, a great sense of satisfaction is achieved when the melody ends and the rhythm leads into the next section of the song by doubling its strengths with the full range of every string. Brewer plays with tension and release throughout the midsection of the song before falling into a steady tempo for the verses that conclude the song.
On a side note from discussing the instrumental merits of the song, as a whole it simply scratches the midwest emo itch within me. Its vocals are the most pertinent element in that regard; full of emotion and tension that they overflow and shake a bit here and there. The lyrics are reflective; full of images and metaphors that synthesize with the emotion present in the musicality. Songs that brim with feeling like “Burning Myself on the Radiator” are some of the best sources of cathartic release. The final verse of the song, which adds shakers and backing vocals, serves as one of the best examples of the unique characteristics of midwest emo. I am very much looking forward to seeing more Doglike Reflexes tracks being released in the near future.
