Little Compass

Little Compass: DiscoverDiscover (2005)
Negative Progression Records

Reviewer Rating: 1.5

Contributed by: KirbyPuckettKirbyPuckett
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on June 10th 2005Negative Progression has a knack for signing bands that deliver a "safe" sound. They deliver records from bands that proudly wear their influences on their sleeves -- groups performing their own twist on the hooded sweatshirt rock genre. In the case of Little Compass, they dispense a sound that pre-.

Negative Progression has a knack for signing bands that deliver a "safe" sound. They deliver records from bands that proudly wear their influences on their sleeves -- groups performing their own twist on the hooded sweatshirt rock genre. In the case of Little Compass, they dispense a sound that pre-dated "emo" becoming the punch-line to every scene joke. It's easy to pick up on the Braid and Get up Kids inspiration, as well as stimulus from Jimmy Eat World.

The quartet's debut, Discover, reminds me of a less infectious version of Spitalfield's Remember Right Now. That record shared similar traits to the bands mentioned above, but was supplemented with their own sweat and originality. Little Compass are trying their best to differentiate the scene, which you can hear in some of the astute guitar play in songs "You Wanted Murder" and "Pleasure Tides," but continue to fit the generic mold, apparent by the Fall Out Boy-ish "Demolition." The dual vocalists provide their share of ups in terms of their delivery style; however, the adolescent voices plague the ten tracks with tones heard on numerous, already accessible albums.

The latter half of the recordings finds the band expanding slightly, minus the sketchy lyrical content; "Our Town" and "My Baby Lives In Rockdale" could be powerful songs if Little Compass directed themselves through a maturity process, which is just what Discover requires. LC are a new band and are simply trying to find their identity and bearing in an overly populated genre. Given the opportunity and aspiration to build upon what they have already cemented, there could be a chance for Little Compass to succeed.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (December 27, 2005)

LC and I have crossed paths on tours a couple times. Great guys, super hard workers. Touring all the time... very dedicated. One of the most solid live shows you will ever see. This is a band, unfortunately, who's real power just does not translate through their album. If you get a chance to see them on tour do it for sure. good luck to the guys and i hope to see you again sometime.

eric p
chasing paris, OKC

Anonymous (August 17, 2005)

ramzi here from little compass. thanks for all the comments. good or bad. i'm just flattered that people take the time to talk about my band on here. the scene now adays is pretty depressing. thanks.

slippy (June 15, 2005)

Age has nothing to do with it buddy.

Marlon (June 14, 2005)

You make snide remarks, but my oppinion is more sound and much more educated than yours.

Anonymous (June 14, 2005)

to think i care about a 17 yr. olds opinion is....that's ignorance.

slippy (June 14, 2005)

Music critics are not the worst form of life.

Marlon (June 13, 2005)

To the poster below: You're an idiot. Your just pulling out stereotypical "failed musician critic" bull shit that isn't even true. I'm willing to bet the band is able to take criticism on them much butter then you seem to be, after all they can learn what people think and they can do better. Little Compass is very obviously influenced by the original emo bands whether they consider themselves emo or not (and they have a song that rips the opening riff from the Hey Mercedes song The House Shook...). Your hate filled rant just shows your ignorance, it doesn't even serve as a good attack at Kirby's reviewing.... And if you care enough to hold a person to gun point over this band you're an insane loser and you need a hobby. I'm willing to bet Little Compass doesn't even give a third as many shits as you seem to about this review.

Anonymous (June 13, 2005)

i really think the reviewer is a piece-of-shit that knows nothing of what they talk about. i can guarantee you that no one in the entire band would call themselves emo. as for hooded sweatshirts, i doubt you would see many peaople from houston even wearing something to keep them warm. i know it was an analogy, but it makes no sense. dave, ramzi, stephen, and danny are all hard working musicians that never stop. and why are they even in punknews? kirby, you are an idiot that should have payed more attention during journalism. just to counter this review, i will personally buy you a copy of this album and make you listen to it at gun point for 27 days straight. music critics are the worst form of life. you take what some have spent entire lives trying to achive and have put forth blood (let me remind you that stephen has even severed his left middle finger and played a show the next week with a band aid over his stub) sweat, and tears to create and offer you're stereotypical, genre-blending, i shit on you because i never could play guitar and now i'm jealous review. have a good day.

thanks,
a friend of the band.

slippy (June 12, 2005)

Fuck the "hooded-sweatshirt" genre.

Anonymous (June 11, 2005)

little compass rules...super awesome dudes...and hoodies are the shit.

CherryColaRain (June 10, 2005)

hmmm, I do understand that "emo" fans like to wear hoodies, but I wear hoodies all the time and I'm not exactly a fan of this type of thing. Anyways I don't think they way you dress should affect your music taste or vice-versa.

Anonymous (June 10, 2005)

Little Compass isn't actually that new. In fact, they were around for awhile, and then broke up. And then they reformed recently. I've seen them play a few shows, and I pesonally think with a band like this, it's all about the live show. As for the Braid reference, I saw their drummer at a Braid show last year, which is funny.

kirbypuckett (June 10, 2005)

What's funny is that I just finished reading this magazine article on JEW before I did this review.

I'm a moron, Brian...fix that.

- Kirby

Anonymous (June 10, 2005)

hey, the link to the hooded sweatshirt shit don't work you asshole.

Anonymous (June 10, 2005)

Jimmy Eat World are from the planet Gay-As-Fuck.

- Starscream

Anonymous (June 10, 2005)

Jimmy Eat World isn't from Texas silly. They're from Arizona...