Death by Sexy

Curse the Curse

Record Review by Kevan Peterson

Curse the Curse opens with percussion accenting whispering vocals on “I Ain’t Gonna Chase You Down” before launching into a full frontal rock attack.  Death by Sexy’s band name is more original than their music.  As they deliver a barrage of songs that fall a bit short of unique, you can’t help but feel most of the creative energy went into the title.  According to the band's bio, they acquired the name in 2005 from the lead singer of Eagles of Death Metal - who, coincidentally, came out with an album a year later with the same title.  Whoops. 

Their sound is a little too rough to be catchy and a little too catchy to be punk and so they fall in a wasteland of music that a thousand other bands have died in before. “Wake Me Up” works on most levels and is perhaps one of the stronger tracks on the album as the chorus plays with echoing call outs and seems the most earnest of all the tracks. 

The album manages to achieve a sort of retro sound which overall works for the band.  They could be on their way to becoming the next Kings of Leon or Jet, but right now they sound like a distant cousin who is emulating more than creating.  “You’re So Hot (But So Cold)” delivers the kind of tongue-in-cheek rock lyrics that the band should excel at, given their name.  A step in the right direction perhaps, but they’ll need more than this to stay alive.