By Joe Metro
Sad Cartoon has possibly the best band name I have heard in quite a while. I first became acquainted with the band from No Such Animal’s Festival of Fools at Velour Live Music Gallery held this year in April. They were the opening band preceding AURHE and No Such Animal. Black ties, shades, and a mysterious aura culminated in atmospheric pressure that sucked in the crowd. As the cool kids would say, they aura farmed the flip outta that show.
Do you miss the way you used to see the world? and Sad Cartoon in general brings a great respite to the “typical” surrounding us in the Provo scene. The blend of instruments, laid-back melodies, and hazy tones creates an incredible melodic rock sound. While only five songs long, this EP is well-rounded and exhibits depth, with each track making it feel longer than its 18-minute run time. The band’s drummer, Landon Andrizzi, produced the EP and did a stellar job with it.
“Hauntingly beautiful” – these words express “Cathedral” so well. This track puts me into a state of disassociation in the right way. It’s the feeling when the Adderall starts to fade and you’re stuck staring into space as you disconnect (my fellow neurodivergent folks out there may be able to attest to this). There are days when I desperately long for songs that achieve this effect.
“Afraid” pushes the tempo with the classic ‘chuga chuga’ pattern typically found in metal. Will Martin, the lead singer, effortlessly slides from singing to shouting and back again. Impressive is one word for it; talented is another. Godlike is my preferred description. Certain parts of the song are reminiscent of rage bubbling up while actively trying to contain it. That is the great dichotomy – the back and forth between the singing and shouting. The representation of your outward self as calm, cool, and collected, but under the surface this tension of building anger.
As a devotee to the arcane arts of the fantasy genre of literature, I feel “If it were my blood” could be in the soundtrack of a book. The music showcases the feelings of emptiness when the protagonist is at their lowest. It’s Kaladin Stormblessed at the edge of the Honor Chasm. (Shoutout to my Cosmerenauts out there.) Or Frodo struggling to make the climb up Mount Doom. Despair sets in as we, the readers, are left in suspense, wondering if hope will prevail. Examining these lyrics, “If it were my blood / keeping me alive / I’d spill it for you,” the perspective differs from Kaladin or Frodo to Sylphrena and Samwise Gamgee. They are offering to do whatever they can to help those they love, even at the cost of themselves.
“Window (Interlude)” complements “If it were my blood” so nicely as they add depth to this record. Migrating you from gothic, arcane rock to the oddity of deep space as you float endlessly in a sea of stars. To put it in the words of my roommate, “It reminds me of being on a date and stargazing while a comfortable silence rests between us.” I love how these feelings of space and the infinite eternities that lie beyond our mortal comprehension permeate throughout the second half of the EP.
Finally, the title track, “Do you miss the way you used to see the world?” opens with a simple but effective riff. Lead guitarist Nate Killian captivates listeners’ souls with his melodies, submitting them to the rock gods – not unlike a mage enchanting their minds with Crown of Madness. This song absolutely bangs, solidifying the disassociation of the EP.
I wish the single version of “Cathedral” had appeared on the record. There was something so raw and rounded about that recording. It does sound more muffled and less clean compared to the EP version, but I fully believe it adds to the haze. The band let me know it was self-recorded, and they weren’t too happy with the final product. When I saw Sad Cartoon at Festival of Fools, there was something so deliciously crisp about Garrett Larson’s bass tone that I wish it had translated over to the recording. I understand that it can be challenging to capture the same sound from a show when recording. Such is life! The EP still slaps.
I am so wholly excited for what else they have in store for us. To the band: Keep cool, gentlemen, and continue delivering depth to Provo.
Follow Sad Cartoon on Instagram and listen to “If it were my blood” on Spotify below!