Pictures in Braille

With emo becoming a justifiably maligned quantity in recent years, especially in the flush of odious subgenres, it's easy to forget that there used to be worthwhile bands that mined that territory. The members of Warwick, New York's Pictures in Braille may not embrace a particular genre, but they've clearly...

By Tom Murphy

July 10, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

With emo becoming a justifiably maligned quantity in recent years, especially in the flush of odious subgenres, it's easy to forget that there used to be worthwhile bands that mined that territory. The members of Warwick, New York's Pictures in Braille may not embrace a particular genre, but they've clearly learned a great deal from the best emo bands of the 1990s. Their sweeping, atmospheric exuberance is reminiscent of the Rising Tide-era Sunny Day Real Estate, while the amalgam of melodic distortion and impressionistic textures recalls the Promise Ring's sonically ambitious pop. The group's penchant for vocal choruses is very contemporary; fortunately, it layers the vocals well and doesn't aim for the trendily haphazard atonality favored by groups that try to cover up musical shortcomings with a veneer of passion. Pictures in Braille has nothing to hide.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

Follow:

Twitter: @simianthinker