I'm gonna be honest. When I first heard this album I skipped to track 4 (I Found My Mind In Connecticut) before i found a song that caught my interest. After that I skipped through to Eating Its Way Out Of Me on track 7. After those 3 minutes and 58 seconds I found I had hit the track forward button til I was back at number 1 wishing this CD would depart from
me. Lets face it Cage Kennels as a fat fuck on drugs is a lot different than Chris Palko sober and skinny. After feeling like I was just robbed of my $12 for a few days i decided to give it another chance. I found myself looking through my back seat for the album hoping it wasn't scratched to shit like all those "awesome mixtapes" my friends have given me. I put it back in my CD player and this time.... I actually kind of liked it.
Nothing Left To Say, A creepy track with verbed out keys and a space sounds playing in the back round. It really gives you an insight to what the rest of the album is going to be like...at least lyrically. The track intro of the song ends with a peaked out scream of "I KNOW WHY" then beat drops. The song is about people riding on the coat tails of the late great Camu (r.i.p) a good friend to all the WM/CC dudes and an amazing artists I was lucky enough to see in action.
Beat Kids, You ever hear one of those snare drums that makes you blink when its hit? This songs got that plus one of the dirtiest electric basses i think I've ever heard on a rap album. This is another song about how Cage's childhood was bluntly put completely fucked up. The only difference this time is there is a different feel to it completely. I can't really explain it but when you listen to you'll understand what I'm talking about.
Dr. Strong, This songs beat could have been a Manson sample if I didn't know better. Its just weird. It's a song about his stay at the Stony Lodge Hospital wherein he spits lines about being shot up with horse tranqs and shuffling around the floor like a zombie whos dead inside. dudes life was fucking crazy no wonder they want to make a movie about it.
I Found My Mind In Connecticut, This was the first song that caught my attention for the erie guitar at the beginning then I heard the lyrics. Some girl really fucked this dude up. Its a subtle talk at suicide with a huge "fuck it" tone. Its an auditory showing of a person spiraling towards rock bottom. Its fucking depressing. But completely fits the feel of the album. Well...most of the album.
I Lost It In Havertown, Take an old school Nintendo and make a hip hop beat with. Its actually probably the most catchy beat on the entire album. It's only a minute and a half so its more of a filler track in than anything. Seems Mr. Palko meets a girl and things are going good quick but if we know anything about cage's history this isn't going end well I'm sure.
Teenage Hands, Oh shit that grimey bass is back. This song really didn't do it for me. Its pretty much just saying "kids these days don't know what the fuck real life is". Agreed. Kids are little shit heads. Fuck em.
Eating Its Way Out Of Me, Hands down my favorite song on the album. The beat is crazy, the hook brings you in, its dark, its awesome. Every been into something so completely toxic but yet at the same time you can't stay away from it? If you said No you're a fucking liar. We can all relate to this.
Kick Rocks, Junkies are obnoxious especially when you are sober. Any one who has ever been in a band knows how annoying people are trying to get on the guest list. Oh! and mom...we love you but please shut the fuck up. This song really has nothing to do with anything other than being entertaining and maybe venting about how obnoxious people can be with out even trying the beat is to punk to be hip hop and to hip hop to be punk. You'll love it or hate it.
Captain Bumout, Weird synths awesome chord progressions this seems to be a hit with a lot of people. If i was him i would of told that ho to get her fishy ass stink hole off my leg and rub that monotonicity on some dude that looks like he just got a new haircut.
Strain, The most acoustic instrument influenced beats on the album is also one of the best. Whats better than an opening about trying to blow up some broad? That's right..nothing.
Fat Kids Need An Anthem, This song does not fit at all but is entertaining none the less. its like Cro Mags smoke a bunch of weed fucked Circle jerks and make a rap song. The part about having bitch tits is good for a laugh but if you think about it. That girl is a fucking cunt. I hope I never go from shit to a vegetable. If I do I hope its a cucumber in the fridge of Salma Hyek. Fuck you she's dope.
Look At what You Did, After going through these songs for the review I'm really starting to like it even more than i tough. This beat is tight and its got one of if not the best flows on the entire album. If Cage was a vampire I really wouldn't be suprised. But not like those faggot twilight vampires....more like I'm going to rip your fucking head off and drink you blood like its a god damn Mt Dew Commercial.
Depart From Me, The title track that is very literal. He's finally letting go of all the bullshit and taking back what's his. We all need to learn how to be dependent on ourselves and not other people or drugs. I'm not preaching I'm just doing one of those jerry springer final word type things. Except my checks to prostitutes don't bounce.
I Never Knew You, as far as I know this was the first single off the album. Lets cut to the point. Songs about stalking a girl. You don't really know how it ends or why is happening. Its disturbing. A+ oh and the video is incredible. This is no joke I actually really do like this song. Call me a creep I don't give a shit.
This album is 110% different from any other album that came before but are much more in depth look of who Cage is. Hell's Winter felt like he was coming to terms with his demons and Depart From Me was just that. Letting Go. I found myself relating to some things, laughing at others and asking "What the fuck is this?" during some. After I listened to the entire album I still wasn't to positive on how i felt on it, but I knew I felt a lot better than I did before. Its like like if you took Portishead mixed with Suicidal Tendencies And House Of Blow (anther CC band whos amazing btw) and kicked in some dirty synths and awesome guitars and bass. Its definitely not what I expected and I guess that's why I thought it sucked at first. Its different, It's real good but different. If you are looking for Hell's Winter 2.0 you are not going to find it at all. If you are looking for another side of Cage then you have it in Depart From Me. I ended up keeping the CD but in my opinion some things could have been better but it was definitely good enough to keep in rotation. I'm excited to see what we will see next from Mr Palko.
Day Breaker is from Boston Massachusetts. Mixing elements of Good indie, Rock and a whole lot of feeling they create a very warm and enjoyable sound. Although they do not currently have an full length album out they are in the process of recording and you can download a 3 song demo here.
