La Dispute
Rooms Of The House

THE REVIEW

Mantova-Brescia, March 25, 2014, from about 11:45 PM to 12:35 AM

It can happen that one gets blinded by the sun low on the horizon while traveling; nothing unusual. It happens, it hurts, but it takes little to recover. It's far more painful to be blinded at night when one, none, a hundred thousand lightning bolts tear the sky apart, opening sudden gashes of light in the darkness. I keep traveling fast, a little drunk; my pupils adapt to the glare, the storm seems to be approaching, it's going to be a mess, but I have to get home, I have a family. I recklessly rely on the notes of "La Dispute," 5 kids from Grand Rapids - Michigan with their third album "Rooms Of The House," a masterpiece or a drug, whichever you see it as, the kind you get hooked on as soon as it hits you.

Jordan Dreyer immediately overwhelms me with his flood of words, he's a travel companion who's far too talkative, he never shuts up. His is a sad and wild river; his voice accompanies me, doesn't abandon me, recites suffering verses, sometimes angry and impetuous. He reminds me of Cedric Bixler Zavala, the historic voice of At The Drive In, at times Zack De La Rocha (Rage Against The Machine). The two guitars give me no respite, they are in constant motion, unstable like the rhythm section (drums and bass) unconfined by any ensemble harmony. Each seems to go their own way, they who knows where, I towards Brescia. I turn up the volume, allow myself to be whipped, I want to hurt myself, I want to get dazed. I love it when the music hits hard, when I suffer along with it. Theirs is a music suspended between post-hardcore and emo-core (for the emotionality and expressive vehemence of the voice); they remind me of everything I loved about June Of 44 (except the heaviness), Don Caballero (especially for the constructive freedom of the pieces), At The Drive In (for the insistence of the guitars which then... what the hell does "insistence of the guitars" mean only I know... but don't worry: those who will listen, will understand).

Brescia approaches, the album flows wonderfully. In some tracks I find myself clinging to a log between the rapids (perhaps those of Grand Rapids?), tossed everywhere. Alongside pass fields and warehouses, houses and road junctions. The sky continues to flash, a few drops barely stain the windshield, outside it seems windy, I can feel it pushing on the sides. I keep accelerating, the music forces me to press on the accelerator. In a flash I reach Brescia, the storm has gone elsewhere, or maybe it just unleashed inside me, tormenting my soul. I get out of the car. The boozy smile from the start has turned into a melancholic grimace. I climb the stairs, open the door, take a galactic pee and get under the covers, next to my wife. The "La Dispute" are still there next to me, not letting me sleep, then I collapse.

Brescia, March 26, 2014, around 8:15 AM
Wake up, breakfast, the usual things, kids to school, a perfect sun, I get in the car, and "La Dispute" are ready to start again. Play, another storm, more suffering, endless joys...