Underrated Stuff / No Knife - Hit Man Dreams

 Okay, as a quick departure from my initial rabbit hole post, I'd still like to keep it going discussing neat music I dig... So I'll present a true hidden gem.

When you hear the term "post-hardcore", you might think of the all star bands like Fugazi, Refused, and Drive Like Jehu. Or maybe you think of the 2000s wave of side-swoop, whiny time-pieces like From First To Last, Pierce the Veil, and Dance Gavin Dance. Whichever you think, what can be noted is they are both GREATLY different. There is many, many bands that don't fall into either category, as it has had a swift-moving progression since it's conception. 

San Diego, CA; A hot-spot in the 90s for the ever-rising scene of screamo (and emo, the two sound ugly together, though). Labels like Gravity as well as Three One G marked their beginnings. With Gravity hosting kick-starting bands Heroin and Antioch Arrow, and Three One G putting out the sassy acts The Locust and Jenny Piccolo (both including label owner Justin Pearson himself). With this boom of emotionally driven, spastic sounds coming out, there didn't seem to be room for much else. 

Tour with TGUK

Within this disregard, there was No Knife, band I believe truly never got their flowers, perhaps due in part to their stark contrast. To loop back to my introductory paragraph, they were indeed a San-Diego post-hardcore band (or indie rock... or something... whatever). Following the release of 2 7" singles in 1994, they went on to release their debut "Drunk on the Moon" in 1996 on SD based label Goldenrod. The success of this album as well as a alleged (I couldn't find the year, but it was their first West coast run) tour with emo legends The Get Up Kids truly paved the way for a steady start. From their archive of flyers, I found that they frequently played with emo acts like Jejune and Jimmy Eat World, who frequently promoted No Knife in interviews!

Though, that album is not necessarily what I came here writing all this mess about. Their second studio album "Hit Man Dreams" (1997)... is an album that I will proudly say blows their near-perfect discography out of the water. Okay, maybe that's a reach, I'm painfully biased when it comes to it. 

I'm not sure when and why exactly I found Hit Man Dreams, unfortunately I did find it on Spotify (ugh, kids these days, right?). There is no chance in hell it would have been a blind pickup, as it has only been released on CD and vinyl once, upon it's debut (with the vinyl copy selling at a high of $137...). Anyways, onto the contents of the record.

The cool album cover...

With 11 songs and a 44 minute run time, it's packed with unforgettable melodies, impressive guitar work, and clean production, it holds up. If you told me it was released in recent times, I would believe it. It sounds fresh, it doesn't have the crackly, aging sound of other bands of the time (not a dig, i love that stuff). A review I read stated "I put on the CD, and the next thing I know it’s 44 minutes later and I’m emotionally drained, with nothing to say. No Knife is that good." - INK19. So perhaps that may be why I'm struggling to write anything up for it without it sounding like a jerk-off party... but trust me, it's warranted. 

The intro track "Your albatross" definitely reigns as one of my favorites on the album, it's really an intro song that takes you in head-first. I catch myself constantly repeating "So what? You're all the same", a repeating lyric of the chorus.

No Knife - Roped in-Lock On

 

 

I think perhaps, I should spare speaking of each and every song, because we will be here for too long. It's a no skip for me. Bear with me while I learn to write engaging and critical. Though I have no bad things to say about it. I just recommend giving it a listen. I believe that the lyrics lack the whiny pretentious-ness you may find in the genre. It relies heavily, though, on repetition, making for a rampant case of ear worms (not pictured).

 FAVORITE TRACKS: Charades, Lex Hit Reset, Sweep Away My Shadow

and yes... It's a 10/10 

AND IF YOU LISTENED AND LIKED IT! I recommend checking out more underrated post-hardcore/emo adjacent bands such as Q and Not U, Boilermaker, and Mock Orange. 

Thanks for reading, and sorry if this is a mess

-Iona