Album Review: Static Dress - 'Rouge Carpet Disaster'
Rouge Carpet Disaster is a disaster by name but not nature as Static Dress serves up a new definition of emo music in 2022.
While the comparisons to legendary post-hardcore bands have been made since their debut single in 2019, Static Dress have proven that they are more than clones of bands that were big 20 years ago. While shades of classic releases by bands like Glassjaw, Poison The Well, My Chemical Romance and many more colour the album, it would be amiss to define them by this. Static Dress are one of the most exciting bands active at the moment and Rouge Carpet Disaster looks to be the next step towards stardom.
‘fleahouse’ starts the album with melodic, sing along choruses, bouncing drum beats, harsh vocals and noisy production. It’s a song which perfectly sets the scene for the album by mixing everything we know so far in one neat package. From here the album expands on everything, beginning a journey through frontman and creative director Olli Appleyard’s autobiographical, fictional narrative while bassist Connor Riley, drummer Sam Ogden and the anonymous guitarist Contrast lay the musical foundations.
‘Sweet’ continues the strong start to the album, adding more depth and pedal effects to the harsh vocals that begin the song. The melodies rear their head as the song progresses, keeping this balance. ‘Push Rope’ is another exploration of new territory with a lush shoegaze riff starting off a song which mixes the mid-2000s emo style with the current shoegaze revival. The song is the tip of the iceberg of experimentation that has moments we’ve heard from the band before alongside new styles added to their rolodex.
Attempt 8 is the first moment where the energy is turned down with an almost 30 second field recording bringing to mind their Prologue soundtrack. The clean, washed-out guitar tone lays the perfect foundation for a softer side of Appleyard’s vocals. This lull is a temporary respite as Static Dress launch right back into their most chaotic song on the album, ‘Courtney, Just Relax’. With throat-shredding vocals reminiscent of Glassjaw’s debut over 20 years ago, the band creates an explosive moment. Yet the song is full of twists and turns, dropping into softer moments with spoken vocals, bringing to mind Poison The Well’s early classics. The next turn is never far away with melodic moments firing the song up before returning to the chaotic and discordant guitars.
Following a highpoint, the band finds themselves knee deep in another chaotic but painfully melodic song, single ‘Disinter’. Featuring another visionary in King Yosef, the song again has so many layers of sound and style which mark the band as one of the vanguard of what is considered heavy music in 2022. The chorus is another which toes the line of sounding classic while fresh at the same time, an exciting moment on an album which never seems to let down.
The final single on the album but the first to be released is a ballad of sorts is ‘such.a.shame’, bringing an end to a section of pure energy. Taking cues from future tour mates Funeral For a Friend, Static Dress once again find themselves at the helm of a song which would have made them one of the most popular bands of their generation nearly twenty years ago, and possibly again.
‘…Maybe?’ Is another song full of pop punk melodies which is never far away from brutal harsh vocals. The song skips through verse, chorus and verse full of catchy melodies, bouncing drum rhythms and heavy breakdowns. Another high point is ‘Lye Solution’, which balances the tightrope of chaotic and melodic, never leaving the listener behind without giving exactly what would be expected either.
‘Unexplainabletitlesleavingyouwonderingwhy (welcome in)’ shows another side of Static Dress, with a tongue in cheek title and skate punk assault, the song gives another look beyond the post-hardcore we’ve become accustomed. The back to back placing of this and their most vulnerable song would be unthinkable for most bands but Static Dress have a constant penchant for defying expectations. ‘Marisol’ is the one true ballad on the album, Marisol has a soft drum beat and lingering bass notes with clean guitar chords carefully strummed. The vocals show a softer side of Appleyard as he sounds vulnerable and open, this rawness adds to the personal nature of the album.
The whole album invites the listener to feel part of Static Dress’ world. Keeping the sounds as fresh as their approach to their artistry. Many bands would finish their album here, but once again looking not to do what everyone would expect, the band transitions into their final song, ‘Cubical Dialog’ after a standalone string finish. More in line with the band’s usual style, it almost feels like an additional bonus on top of the album. It’s a worthy finish too, another classic Static Dress song leaping from melody to chaos in an instant.
‘Rouge Carpet Disaster’ is a great achievement for a band whose staunch DIY stance and tireless work ethic has set them apart in a world where paint by numbers album campaigns define most new releases. As the album tells us, this isn’t your ordinary band who is happy to do what is expected. Taking this album as music for music’s sake misses the point of this attitude too. Inspired as much by film and television as music, the band have continued to create a narrative world. Layer upon layer has been constructed throughout their releases, whether it be the recurring motifs in their videos, the QR codes they’ve littered across releases, the fully fledged comic book which laid the platform for this album. Dedicated fans have always dived in to find great rewards, this album is full of them and I, myself only feel as if I have scratched the surface.
The band might not like the tag, but they have created a post-hardcore album for the ages. Building on the budding scene revival, calling to mind classics of 20 years ago and bringing fresh energy to sounds which could have become tired, Static Dress have created an emo album which will capture the imagination of a new generation of fans.
Words by Dom South
