E.P. Review: Crossing I's Dotting T's - Regret Stained Memories
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Self-styled emo-gressive punks, Crossing I’s, Dotting T’s’ four-track debut EP comes hot on the heels of their latest single, Dissatisfied, an instantly hook-laden dash through the genre of pop-punk. This Orange County four-piece serves up a deliciously tasty rhythm and a full sound that belies the pop-punk label. CIDT lock themselves in immediately and they delivery an entrée which makes you think you know were this experience is headed.
As if to instantly pull the rug from under your feet, Regret-Stained Memories is a darker, heavier and more emo-centric piece as its title would suggest. However, rather than having you reaching for the black eyeliner and giving up on life, CIDT combine the slower, more intense atmosphere with wailing guitars and liberal use of acoustic strings to produce a mature and nuanced piece.
Landing somewhere between the unbridled enthusiasm of Dissatisfied and the morose nature of Regret-Stained Memories is the equally darkly titled See You at Your Funeral which, although more traditionally emo, blends the pop-punk with a pseudo-grunge style, throwing in a few stabbing guitar lines for good measure.
The sunny disposition of 7.45am, with its acoustic intro and 80s-ballad vibe, hides a full-bloodied tale of the melancholia of loss, yet cannot help but demand you get those lighters in the air for the stirring crescendo.
Crossing I’s, Dotting T’s is an EP that doesn’t hang about when getting its job done. Four-tracks of well-crafted emo-pop-punk with the occasional flourish thrown in for good measure. Developing the style from last years’ more alternative two-song release Losing Sleep Again and Darkness Down Below, CIDT swim into punkier waters and, while their version of punk is more Slam Dunk than Rebellion, it proves you don’t have to be deliberately hostile to get your point across.
