As Good as Dead
Local H make frustration sound sharply specific on As Good as Dead. Scott Lucas' songs are rooted in the feeling of being stuck somewhere, watching time pass while resentment becomes a habit. The music gives that state plenty of force, but also enough dry humour to stop the record from becoming a single long complaint.
Bound for the Floor is the clearest entry point. Its quieter guitar sound leaves the vocal exposed before the chorus brings a much heavier attack. The contrast is simple and effective, with the melody keeping the song accessible even as Lucas sounds increasingly trapped inside it.
The faster tracks are more abrasive. High-Fiving MF and I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are push toward punk, with Joe Daniels' drumming giving the guitar a hard surface to strike against. The duo generate a substantial sound, but its impact comes from their coordination as much as its size. The parts hit together with purpose.
Eddie Vedder provides another angle on the album's bitterness. Its title carries an obvious reference, but the song's value lies in the way Lucas turns envy and dissatisfaction into a memorable tune. No Problem also reveals a more melodic side beneath the harsh presentation. These tracks give the record emotional variety without making its outlook suddenly comfortable.
Daniels deserves particular credit for the quieter passages. O.K. needs space to make its uneasy mood register, and his restraint gives the song that room. The same player who can drive the quicker material so directly knows when a smaller gesture will do more.
The closing stretch loses some momentum. Its slower repetition fits the album's mood, but does not always deepen it, and the final return of Manifest Density feels less necessary than the earlier songs. The record has already made its sense of confinement clear.
Still, As Good as Dead is unusually effective at giving an attitude a musical shape. The anger has rhythm, the sarcasm has melody, and the quieter moments reveal what sits underneath both. Local H turn a narrow environment into a broad range of forceful, uncomfortable and often very catchy songs.
