AMG Review of Turn Up the Death

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

The debut album from this Buffalo trio is also one of the first releases on Good Charamel, a label founded and run by Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac. If you think that gives you some idea what to expect in terms of melody and texture, you're right: while no one will ever mistake the Juliet Dagger for the Goo Goo Dolls, they do have a similar three-pronged devotion to hook-filled tunes, big, punky guitars, and aggressive lyrics that prick the skin without ever really penetrating. At their worst, Erin Roberts' lyrics come across like theme-book scrawlings from an eighth grader: "Everything but You" is about all the stupid things she hates (but she likes her guy); "Tobey" is about how her friends are, like, complete drama queens and how everything's, like, a soap opera with them. On the other hand, the band's gritty version of "Our Lips Are Sealed" provides plenty of good, old-school fun, and "Stab," with its borderline-hardcore chorus, is screaming for a cover version by Rancid. It all adds up to a better-than-average debut effort from a young band that will definitely bear watching. Recommended.