Charlatan
Self-Titled
Self-Released
Street: 12.22.12
Charlatan = The Used + Matchbook Romance
There isn’t much of an excuse for slacking in production anymore, with modern technology allowing the tiniest band to put out professional-quality demos—which is why it’s extremely painful when a band doesn’t put any effort into creating a listenable recording. If it’s not the muddled, barely audible instruments, it’s the poorly mastered and incredibly off-key singing drifting in and out of volume that sinks this demo. There’s some talent in the music here, and occasionally there’s a decent scream hidden in the background, but it’s hard to find anything worthwhile when the quality is strangling the songs in the womb. I’d love to give these guys another shot, but next time try to polish some songs before throwing together another demo.