THE BLACK WATCH'S VERY MARY BETH

This review is going to be brutal, because these fuckers have already pissed me off. The press release for The Black Watch's disc, Very Mary Beth, says: "The sound has been compared to indie rock legends The Cure and seminal band My Bloody Valentine. Fredrick's lyrics are characteristically stimulating and candid, a la Nick Drake."
First, let me get one thing straight with all bands out there: having a little extra reverb on your guitar does not mean you sound like My Bloody Valentine. My Bloody Valentine's Loveless is such a fucking masterpiece that the band's leader himself, Kevin Shields, has not put out an album since-- there is no way to top it!
Second, The Cure has been signed to a major record label for 15+ years-- that means they are not "indie"!
Thirdly, the lyrics and vocals are the worst thing about this band. Inane, stupid lyrics being crammed into spaces they just can't fit in. This awkward, amateurish voice sounds like the tone-deaf bass player you have fill in on vocals during practice until you find a real singer-- never someone to front a band.
John Andrew Fredrick sounds like someone dug up Nick Drake's corpse, and is shoving it bone by bone up his ass while he is trying to hit a note. The man simply cannot sing. He can't even get near the right note without it running away and giving him the finger. The music, unfortunately, cannot survive the rape that is Fredrick's voice. It's a shame, because there is some skillful playing going on underneath it all.
A few of the songs do sound a lot like The Cure, even ending with the bright chord/cymbal crash. I'd actually like to have a copy of this if you could strip away the lead vocals. Guys, get a real singer, and don't compare yourselves to My Bloody Valentine, and you might have a chance. But only if you stop putting photos of yourselves in the liner notes. Seriously,.. I've seen wooly mammoths younger than you.