Emo Diaries Vol.10, The (The Hope I Hide Inside)

The tenth installment in this long-running Deep Elm series follows the same premise as its predecessors, taking regional and international emo-inspired bands and putting them together on a compilation for greater exposure. Bands from places as diverse as Norway, Israel, London, and Summerville, SC, represent their local scenes with great pride. However, the collection also exposes emo's greatest weakness right from the get-go: no matter where you are from, it all still sounds strangely the same. There's no real risk-taking involved, as all of the overly glossed productions feature the same lyrical topics du jour as the previous nine volumes. There are still glimpses of originality, especially in the album's closing moments provided by Richmond's Silent Type. Emo Diaries, Vol. 10 will definitely appeal to its targeted audience, but for most people it will feel a bit like watching the end of Old Yeller: sometimes you just have to put things down. ~ Rob Theakston|