Various

For a free compilation available from Deep Elm’s website, this is quite an excellent collection. While all the material is available on other Deep Elm records, you can’t beat the cost, and the disc still serves as an excellent introduction to emo’s favourite label. While the stark cobra cover art is momentarily deceiving, make no mistakes: Deep Elm bleeds emo. Thankfully, they bleed quality emo, and the 20 tracks contained here are a testament to that statement. The sounds on this comp range from lively to downright depressing, from the poppy darkness of Sounds Like Violence to the gentle piano balladry of Desert City Soundtrack. A quality snapshot of a label at the top of it’s game in a genre that so frequently isn’t, This Is How I Kill My Tears, featuring every band on Deep Elm’s 2004 touring roster, is the perfect way to get to know a label sure to only get stronger in the years to come.