Don't let the overtly melodramatic title fool you, Light a Match, for I Deserve to Burn is an intelligent and spirited meld of emo, hardcore, and alternative rock. The intense drama on this collection emanates from the dueling vocal and guitar renderings of Josh Hagquist and Shawn Grover. Juxtaposing grindcore angst against ethereal melodies, Beautiful Mistake insanely vacillates between rage and introspection from verse to chorus to bridge throughout each track. Cuts such as "On Building" and "Light a Match" exemplify the band's most identifiable aesthetic -- that is, deftly deploying a variety of staccato rhythms, linear harmonies, and abrupt changes in dynamics to punctuate each stanza. Even "Circular Paradise" -- which coyly inaugurates as a neon-psychedelic ballad of multi-tracked arpeggios above a soft, repetitive military beat -- explodes into calamitous heavy metal mayhem without warning. Adventurous and unpredictable, Beautiful Mistake brings together disparate genres to create a singular vision on Light a Match, for I Deserve to Burn.
© Tom Seminole /TiVo