NEW ALBUM: Funeral Advantage – Body Is Dead
When looking through the upcoming new album releases, I stumbled -of course- over the name Funeral Advantage. Who would choose such a name? Metal rockers? A morbid punk trio? A left-over 80s gothic band? Wrong on all accounts and extra points for Tyler Kershaw, the brain child behind the band with this somewhat dark name. (There’s an insurance with the same name too). Because… mission accomplished: I was intrigued and listened to the songs that were already available online, like the really cool Gardensong or Sisters with lots of melodic guitars and fresh vocals over it.
After this musical appetizer, I eagerly awaited the release of the full album wanting to listen to more. Funeral Advantage’s debut album with the cheerful name Body Is Dead is out since August 28th and I can’t stop listening to all ten tracks from the opening Equine to the closing, album title Body Is Dead. In between are songs like Cemetary Kiss or You Sat Alone, all dealing with anxieties, fears, loneliness or death, and yet the music these lyrics are dropped onto is so upbeat and yes, amazingly beautiful!
Funeral Advantage, hailing from Boston, MA make what is called “dream pop”, with its roots clearly in 90s shoegaze and a bit of grunge, even the vocals are being kept in mid-range, and hence hard to understand. Personally, I don’t mind one way or the other because for me, it’s usually always about the music first. I must like the sound I hear and then come the lyrics. Another favorite on an album full of favorites is the slow Then I’ll Look:
Body Is Dead is a well-rounded album, revoking early The Cure or Human League and then the already mentioned 90s influences too, but clearly rooted in current indie-rock-sounds. Despite the overall dark concept with ‘death’ and ‘funeral’, the album is -musically- surprisingly cheerful and pleasant to listen to.
Follow Funeral Advantage on Facebook and/or Twitter and stream Funeral Advantage on SoundCloud and buy the album on BandCamp or iTunes.
Go see Funeral Advantage live:
Socials