Con Etiquette – Resulting In…

In this digital age of cheap electronics and free internet access, finding a great indie band has become…hard, but also a LOT of work. For every solid band you find, you’ve searched through 20 mediocre to terrible groups of people who get together and make something they think is music.  Hint: it isn’t. Well, search no more. With Con Etiquette, you have found that great indie band. Their album ‘Resulting In…’ is solid through and through. One of my favorite things about them is that they are tough to pigeonhole. I would usually say something like they’re this band meets this band – but that list would just be too long.  I’ll sum it up this way. Picture your group of friends in high school. You have the crazy one (that would be Taking Back Sunday), the nerdy one (Weezer), the moody one (Brand New), and the one who probably does some sort of drugs but you never really see it (Billy Talent). Then there’s the person who somehow hangs out and relates to all of them but is still chill. That’s Con Etiquette. They’re like a real person, able to emote different shades of the same self.

The album kicks off with ‘Got This Way’, a baritone led Billy Talent-esque romp. At about 1:15 there’s a tonal shift which made me audibly say “Oh!” – and then it’s off to the races. The build up culminates on ‘Human and Divine’, probably the hardest song on the album. Borderline screams in the chorus that are equal parts angst and pop singalong. Con Etiquette never goes too hard, but they bring you right to the edge several times, making for a great ride. The momentum slows down on ‘Interlude’, an incredibly moving and beautiful 2 minute calm down. If we were in yoga, we’d be in savasana for this one.  You better get your zen moment now, because they get right back to the action as soon as it’s over.

Round 2 kicks off with my third favorite track – and the most radio-ready song on the album. It’s a Weezer-esque pop ballad that hits all of the right notes. It eases us back into the action and gets us excited for more. I really can’t commend this band enough on their album flow. We move full speed ahead until we meet ‘Adios’. In my opinion it’s the absolute best song on the album. It’s the perfect amalgamation of Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday, and if you have a heart (stone or not) this song will get you in the feels. At this point in the album, I’m emotionally drained. I’m ready to quit. But Con isn’t ready to let me. They have one last statement to make. My second favorite, and the finale is ‘Now You Know’. It’s a prophetic farewell, “One of these days I’ll be one of the great ones…”. And if Con Etiquette isn’t, I’ll be supremely disappointed.

silver   gold   plat|inum   dia|mond   Record   (3.5/4)

• Band Website: Conetiquette.bandcamp.com
• Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/3GRCGRvlyWGkkUXEyPSA03
• iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/resulting-in…/id1135140722
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/conetiquette
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/con_etiquette/