Fernando – Enter to Exit

Fernando’s Enter to Exit documents a brawl between the Eagles and late-era Beatles over whether to make a Wallflowers album or a Tears for Fears album. The Tears for Fears faction won, but only just barely, making this album a compilation of California-style laid-back rock and roll (despite the band’s Portland origins) and Liverpool-style production flourishes of psychadelia, although this latter significantly overstates the case.

Opening with “Howard Hughes” and its detestable chorus (“You ain’t no modern-day Howard Hughes”), the song itself soars, ending with a raucous guitar solo that belies the overall quietness of the album’s remainder. “One Trick Pony” is more of what you’d expect, but it’s a great example of what Fernando is trying here: it has clever wordplay lacking in the previous track and the sort of atmospheric intensity that echoes around the album (like in the later, softer “Mariana”).

While Fernando uses Lennon-esque, piano-heavy rhythms (as on “The Reluctant Deity,” “Another Day in My Head,” “Everybody Knows,” and “From Now On”), either “The Change in Us” or “The Devil’s in the Sky” is the band’s “Hotel California” (although both clock in about six minutes too short). Both tracks possess a sense of place (that is, Southern California rather than Portland) and time (the late 1960s, in case you hadn’t guessed) unusual in contemporary music.

The two concluding tracks of Enter to Exit deserve extra attention. “The Magnetic Field” is single material despite the opening lines (“Fucked up again today / Just can’t get it right”), and once the electric guitar kicks in and the cymbals start chattering during the chorus, it becomes the album’s highlight. Had this actually been on a Tears for Fears or Wallflowers album, it’d be on the radio right now. In fact, you’d probably already be sick of it. It’s that good. Further, although probably every band has a song titled “Waiting,” Fernando’s is perhaps the ultimate expression of what the musians are trying on Enter with the slow, atmospheric half of the album — gentle piano, folk guitar, steady drums, and fading out on the repeated line “I’m still waiting.” I’d rather the album sounded like “Magnetic,” but I’ll take an album full of “Waiting,” too.

Enter to Exit has all the sounds you’d expect from Sgt. Pepper Wants to Rule the Hotel One Headlight, from soothing backing vocals, horn section punctuation, quietly sung vocals, decisive piano work, steel-guitar substituting for sitar, and so on. In all, it’s a winning and ingratiating effort.

Polysics – Now is the Time!

At times it’s hard to say if we are currently undergoing some pop cultural throwback to the 80s. Sometimes it seems like all the silly fads of the era of Ray Bans and Duran Duran have again become the dernier cri, and at others it seems the only remnants of the 80s are those few individuals in their acid-washed jeans and disintegrating LA Gears who don’t seem to notice the apparent loss of more than a decade and a half of their lives. Musically, the evidence for an 80s revival is a little more clear cut, with recent years seeing the reawakening of new-wave and post-punk and a renewed love affair with synthesizers and other electronics across multiple genres. The Talking Heads are topping off lists of influences once more, Sonic Youth is putting out great records again, and teeny boppers are shouting ‘Panic! at the Disco’ as if they actually had any idea. Somewhere in this mess, a world away from incessant VH1 specials, Polysics are leading the charge. It’s just that no one quite knows it yet.

One their second album for Japan-proffering label Tofu Records, Polysics continue to hone their manic “technicolor pogo punk.” At this stage in the game, their loud, unbridled energy threatens to completely overwhelm what’s left of the unabashed Devo worship that jump-started the band almost 10 years ago. At its best, Now is the Time presents as Freedom of Choice squeezed through a Marshall Jackhammer with the amps cranked to the proverbial 11th notch. At its worst, it stands as a towering monument to the art of caricature, at times almost too silly for even the not-too-serious to take seriously. The songs offered on Now is the Time have more down-tuned guitars, throatier bass tones, and more arcade-inspired electronics and cartoon-infused vocals than anything Devo would ever have committed to tape. Still, despite being more foolish in spades then their idols, Polysics know how to mix their own eccentricities with those borrowed from the past in just the right quantities, crafting an entertaining album where a terrible mess could have resulted.

While Polysics have certainly come into the peak of their sound with Now is the Time, the mindless intensity of the album can be a tad overwhelming. Tracks such as “Tei! Tei! Tei!” and “Boy’s Head” are truly infectious and entertaining dance punk, but for every catchy hook that lingers in one’s consciousness, there’s a moment that probably could have been left out, such as most of “Oh! Monaliza,” or the chorus of the horrifically cliché “Walky Talky.” Despite its scattered weak spots, Now is the Time sports some really bizarre and great musical moments, such as the wah-wah-weird synth noise in “Wild One” (which sports the only musical use of the telephone noises on a keyboard I’ve ever encountered), and the great vocoded vocals in “Ah-Yeah!!”

One can’t fault Polysics for being a fountain of inspiration. Still, at 15 songs and 45 minutes, Now is the Time is a bit much considering its consistent lack of moderation. When the appropriately named 13th track “Skip It” comes along, it almost seems like a great suggestion, especially considering the two tracks that follow it are probably the weakest on the album. Though Now is the Time was clearly recorded to get you moving, its quite hard to sit still through and probably even harder to dance maniacally to from beginning to conclusion. The album requires a lot of focus and devotion, things that aren’t always readily available to types inclined to shake it like a Polaroid picture to their latest musical fling.

So will Polysics succeed in bringing back the 80s with Now is the Time? It’s hard to say. On one hand, they’ve already been trying for years, and in some circles they certainly have instigated a full-blown revival. On the other hand, despite having toured the US six times now and having fairly decent distribution of previous records, for some reason the band just hasn’t been catching on with a widespread American audience. While the herd will always shift to encompass the latest fad as quickly as they scatter when the one preceding it has gone stale, perhaps there’s some level of excitement that can never be regenerated for old news printed on new paper. Time will tell whether the half-assed resurrection of the 80s will result in anything more than a drooling, crumbling zombie (Thriller, anyone?). But should the life be fully breathed back into such a beast, I wouldn’t doubt that when the time comes, it’ll be proudly strolling into town wearing a Polysics t-shirt.

Eleanors Fault – Between Here and Away

There’s something delightfully loose and raw to “Between Here and Away,” one of the tracks from Chicago’s Eleanors Fault (is it Eleanor’s fault, or is there an earthquake line somewhere named Eleanors Fault?). I’m a fan of precision and practice that show in some bands’ songs as anyone, but when it comes to bands playing post-hardcore/emo these days, it seems almost too easy to sound exactly like everyone else.

Eleanors Fault could sound a lot like everyone else – think Thursday meets Between the Buried and Me with a dash of Cursive – but it’s that raw exuberance and imprecision that makes this such a fun song. “Between Here and Away” is rather all over the place. There’s a host of starts and stops, with moments of throat-wrenching screams and moments of almost hip-hop style beats – both moments short and interspersed quite nicely, mind you. The song is long and diverse enough to keep my attention, while at the same time wondering if I hit “next” by accident.

Don’t go into this looking for something crisp and precise or even cohesive. While the elements here are familiar – blazing guitars, fast-paced drums, emotive vocals – this band takes it for a crazy ride. The song changes pace countless times, and while it’s a little disconcerting, that’s what makes Eleanors Fault stand out. And in this genre, that’s hard to do.

Hinkley – Estate Sale

On their third release and second full-length, the Rochester musicians in Hinkley offer a brilliant album of perfectly produced, stylistically diverse pop music that is sure to find widespread appreciation if given the opportunity. If every city has its band of hard-working artists who cause locals to scratch their heads over why the band hasn’t reached worldwide acclaim, Hinkley is Rochester’s act. Almost an all-star cast of local talent – now with singer/songwriter Gregory Paul on guitar and backing vocals – Hinkley has proved with stellar live shows and the release of Estate Sale that there’s no justice in musical popularity.

Mixed in part by Adam Lasus (it-band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Yo La Tengo), Estate Sale shows the band’s penchant for diverse pop styles, adding melancholy country-tinged ballads to upbeat and insanely catchy pop songs. There’s hints of acts from Neutral Milk Hotel and Guided By Voices to Sparklehorse and Clem Snide, and what makes this album work is how well those styles mix. It doesn’t hurt that the five- or six-member line-up is present in each song, with stellar recording allowing even the most subtle of instrumentation to shine, while the focus still remains on frontman Will Veeder’s vocals and the band’s three-guitar approach.

The album opens with the softly strummed country-tinged melancholy of “Hanging Tree,” featuring hints of keys and harmonica to back up Veeder’s emotive vocals and guitar. It leads into one of the band’s most memorably catchy songs, the surprisingly pretty for being so upbeat “Casino,” which bounces along happily along with backing vocals by Stacey Ackerman. From there, the album does a nice job of mixing the slower, more melancholy ballads and the upbeat, catchy pop songs. “Party on the Sun” is a pretty song, with gently picked guitars and a country-styled rhythm, while it’s followed by the can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head “Ballerina,” one of those toe-tapping, head-bobbing pop songs that stick with you for weeks. Local artist Darren Dewispelaere (Veluxe) adds trumpet to the mix for a nice touch.

There’s a few timeless songs here that are sure to end up on some mix CDs. “Where the River Meets the Sea” feels like a timeless country/folk song given a more modern rock approach. “Mary Lincoln” is a pleasantly mid-tempo track, poppy but also nicely restrained and rich with deep bass, piano, and sweet backing vocals. Then you have the brilliantly up-beat and rocking “Build Me Something in the Sky,” filled with edgy guitars and a fast beat contrasted with a sweet chorus. It’s like a cross between Polyphonic Spree and Built to Spill, perhaps. The up-tempo “She Loves the Sun” takes a similar approach for perhaps the most rocking track on the album. And one of the album’s most memorable moments is the glorious “Horse of the Wood,” featuring gorgeous, booming drums, the album’s best vocals, and a deeply emotional feel. That being said, my favorite track here is “Memory in My Heart,” a staple of the band’s live shows, which is incredibly rich in sound and perhaps the band’s most catchy song yet. Even the “ooo-eee-ooo-eee-ooo” from backing vocals feels fitting to this sweet and bouncy pop song, which has surprisingly edgy guitars for being so poppy.

Previous Hinkley releases and incredible live shows convinced me that Estate Sale couldn’t live up to my expectations. I was wrong. This album has been on near constant rotation in my collection, and each listen gives me a new favorite song to hit replay or move into a new playlist. The band spent more than a year working on this release, and it’s evident in the recording quality, the tracking, and the perfect songwriting. This one’s sure to hold a high spot on my best-of lists for 2006, and I couldn’t recommend it any higher.

Enslaved – Ruun

In 1993, two soon-to-be massively influential Norwegian black-metal bands released a split EP together. One side, taken up by stalwarts Emperor, displayed a raw, slightly symphonic sound owing a debt to cult forefathers Mayhem. The other side of the split, however, owed a debt to enigmatic legend Quorthon, mainman behind the legendary 80s Viking metal outfit Bathory. This portion of the EP, with lyrics entirely in ancient Viking tongue, conjured up imagery of Nordic warriors fighting for honor on snow-covered plains. The songs were long and epic, showing a talent for the progressive unlike any of their contemporaries. This band was Enslaved, and this was the Hordanes Land EP.

Flash forward to 2006. Emperor had already broken up after the band’s fourth full-length in 2001, only to announce four years later that the members were to reconvene for scattered tour dates in the US and Europe. Enslaved, on the other hand, endured numerous lineup and sound changes over the years to end up releasing its ninth album, Ruun, that May. The prolific band had been tweaking its sound since 2000’s epic Mardraum. It was on this album that the band had begun to integrate elements of doom metal and 70s progressive rock into the sound. It featured a plethora of vintage keyboard sounds, time signature changes, and clean vocal parts. This progression continued over 2001’s Monumension, 2003’s Below the Lights, and 2004’s critically-acclaimed Isa.

Ruun, while aesthetically similar to its predecessors, shows that Enslaved has yet to run out of ideas. The album can be described as a strange mix of early Voivod, King Crimson, Tool, and Bathory, a veritable melting pot of influences that manages to be new and familiar, epic and concise at the same time. The album’s eight tracks have a running time of 46:01, which almost feels too short at times. However, the breadth and depth of material contained within easily makes up for the short time. Unlike its predecessors, Ruun is a very immediate and accessible album.

The album kicks off with “Entroper,” which features a fast, catchy riff accented by light synth textures. This gives the illusion of Ruun being a simple album, but soon it gives way for a Voivod-esque section accented by a bass line straight out of King Crimson’s Red. Towards the end of the song, bassist Grutle Kjellson’s gruff black-metal vocals are replaced with a melodic, Gilmour-esque croon. Much of the album is like this: consistently heavy and full of accessible hooks and progressive textures.

Highlights include the punishing “Fusion of Sense and Earth,” the polyphonic, King Crimson-esque title track, the doomy “Tides of Chaos,” and the psychedelic textures of “Heir to the Cosmic Seed.” As a whole, Ruun is a very consistent, engrossing experience. It is a good album for anyone interested in a more extreme perspective on progressive rock or metal.

Mia Doi Todd – La Ninja: Amor and Other Dreams of Manzanita

Mia Doi Todd is an accomplished artist with five albums behind her. The first three featured her distinct voice and an acoustic guitar, the fourth took her established style and layered it up with some embellishments, then the fifth studio album, Manzanita, decided to deviate slightly and explore other genres. This is the basis for her latest effort, La Ninja: Amor and Other Dreams of Manzanita, which features primarily remixes along with three new tracks.

I’m not a big fan of remixes and certainly not an entire album full of them, especially when there are repeats of the same song (“My Room is White” shows up three times). And when it comes to Todd, her voice is so strong that it is so fitting in stripped-down environments that it’s hard to imagine it featured within a more synthetic surrounding. One might question her vocal strength if it cannot stand up to some electronic beats, but it’s not about being able to hold her ground as it is about being washed over with bells, whistles, beeps, and bleeps. The often-heard act of overkill is what I always fear with remixed albums.

“What if We Do?” opens the album with a layered Bollywood musical style that adds instant depth to a song that one may never guess was a remix at all. Nobody’s interpretation of the Manzanita original is a fitting style for Todd’s voice, and the details within the song itself provide an exciting new view, almost like looking at a relationship through someone else’s eyes.

Ammoncontact’s remix for “Muscle, Bone & Blood” was enticing when the music began with an almost primitively sexy feel, but instead of integrating with the mood, it became an introduction to a song that didn’t go anywhere. The original is so raw and sparse that it pleads for an extra little something that this version hit on but then didn’t know where to take it, which ended in a complete disconnection.

With three versions of one of Manzanita’s best tracks, “My Room is White,” Flying Lotus manages to finish up the bunch with the very reason why I don’t often care for remixes. In this third look at what was originally a nice arrangment, the song is chopped up and forced to stagger through unoriginal beats. And sadly, the whole track carries on in this manner with little relief until the end.

One of the highlights of the album is Dntel’s interpretation of “Deep At Sea,” which takes the beautiful lilting vocals of the original and enhances it by giving it a completely different mood with a simple, pulsating beat that feels as if it was meant for this song, and one could hardly imagine these lyrics floating above any other musical backdrop.

Another shining moment is with the new track “Kokoro,” which features only Todd’s voice backed by a simple, hushed acoustic rhythm. The track reminds me of an old song from Nelly Furtado where she sang in her native tongue and it was so beautiful that I couldn’t imagine why she was wasting such an amazing vocal talent. “Kokoro” shows that Todd knows where her strengths are and that even though she may be exploring other areas, she will continue to base everything off her best asset: her voice.

Snow Patrol – Eyes Open

If this is the first you’re hearing of Snow Patrol, it certainly won’t be the last. While previous releases have sold millions in the UK, this Scottish five-piece has yet to experience similar success in the states. But that’s all about to change. Eyes Open, the band’s fourth LP, is armed with big and airy guitars, slick rhythmic beats, and jagged pop hooks. Coupled with appealing, indie-rock textures with commercial cross-over potential and capped off with a polished and emotional singer, it has all the ingredients to be a huge success. Snow Patrol appears poised to open America’s eyes to its dynamic and energetic rock

Frontman Gary Lightbody steals the show with his tailor-made, rock-star voice that can be both passionately rousing and intimately reflective. He effectively moves between dreamy ballads and riveting rockers with ease, similar to Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Lightbody’s heartfelt lyrics are sung with a resounding warmth and zeal that should resonate with listeners both young and old. His catchy refrains are bolstered by equally effusive backing vocal harmonies, courtesy of band members Nathan Connolly (guitars) and Paul Wilson (bass) as well as guests Martha Wainwright and the choir of Celtic indie elite (which includes Eugene Kelly, Charlie Clarke, Jenny Reeve, and Iain Archer).

Those that are familiar with and appreciate previous Snow Patrol tunes will be immediately grabbed by the opening track “You’re All I Have,” as its driving rhythms, smoldering guitars, and sing-along chorus most resemble the gritty indie rock of past releases. The MTV-ready, US single “Hands Open” follows with even more gigantic guitar chords but this time with a choppier back beat and instantly accessible chorus. The pace slows for “Chasing Cars,” baiting us as the atmospheric tinklings float higher, while the guitars provide tension, slowly building into a swirl while never quite reaching a peak. But it’s the lyrics that are at the forefront here, as Lightbody explains “Chasing Cars” is “the most pure and open love song I’ve ever written.” The ironically titled “Shut Your Eyes” charms with an underbelly of U2-like, cascading atmospherics and an extremely snazzy catch phrase. The remaining seven tracks are a mix of slower, expressive ballads and musing indie rock with bits of refined high-energy boosts brought to life by Jonny Quinn on drums, the keyboard and sample work of Tom Simpson, and, of course, the fine singing of Lightbody.

If there is one tiny flaw on this disc, it’s the way some of the songs, after teasing us with intensifying waves of sound, tend to drift to an ending prior to attaining their destination. It’s like going on a sunny Sunday drive and only driving on the highway. And while Snow Patrol has smoothed over some of the rough edges of the band’s earlier work, these guys have created some enjoyable and memorable indie rock. Whether Eyes Open has enough substance to have staying power remains to be seen, but at least it will make for an enjoyable summer listen that will bring back fond memories when played again two years from now.

Solvent – Elevators and Oscillators

Solvent’s Elevators and Oscillators is an instantly appealing compilation of new tracks and remixed versions of previously released retro-styled electronic recordings. Jason Amm, who is Solvent, is a Toronto-based knob flicker who specializes in blending synth-pop and slow, tight techno with warm hooks and memorable beats. Although most of the vocals on Elevators and Oscillators are fuzzy and stretched out, the album does not drown in mechanical manipulation. Amm offers nine different compositions, with multiple mixes of “My Radio” and “For You.”

Elevators and Oscillators opens with the sublime “Wish,” recalling the earlier, more experimental recordings of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The inability to understand all of Amm’s lyrics in “Wish” adds mystery and enhances the beats and synthesized washes. The Mitgang Audio Remix of “My Radio” combines a lush vocal delivery with fast, mechanical beats, like Kraftwerk. Later mixes of “My Radio” include Legowelt’s deadly serious reworking – think Rational Youth’s 1982 debut, Cold War Night Life – and Schneider TM Mustang’s buoyant remake, which breathes new life into the song with an aesthetic shared by Four Tet.

“For You” also appears thrice, interpreted by electronic artists across continents. From Canada, Lowfish slows down the tempo and uses long keyboard lines as effectively as the voice of an impassioned torch singer. The British duo, Isan, applies its recognizable pitches and chirps to a more airy take on “For You,” and Josy’s musical vision fuses Amm’s emphasized singing with altered background vocals and looping, optimistic synth-pop atmospheres.

While two songs in interesting and individually appealing multiple appearances make up almost half of Elevators and Oscillators, there are other strong tracks on the album. At the LP’s midpoint, the classical beauty of the appropriately titled “Interlude” inspires and refreshes the listener for half a dozen more pieces. “Devices and Strategies” is an irresistible instrumental track that smartly and particularly plants its beats among spacey flourishes and a mid-80s sensibility.

Elevators and Oscillators is not a perfect album, though even the two notable missteps of inclusion – the brief “Radio Goo Goo” and the undeniably interrupting “Think Like Us (Alter Ego Remix)” – are forgivable. It is rare and satisfying to discover an emotionally engaging and technically fascinating electronic album that incorporates original compositions, both vocal and instrumental, and embraces different artists’ mix mindset. With musical precision, passion, and proficiency, Amm has crafted a record that hits targets in the chill-out lounge, through the car stereo on long night drives, and on the blanket at the city park on a sunny day with headphones.

The Lovely Feathers – Hind Hind Legs

Oh! Let’s go outside / Put the car in drive / To the cornfield side / There, / We’ll take off our pants / Kiss the corn and dance / Kiss the corn and romance

Stein avant-gardism? Carroll foolery? No. The Lovely Feathers. These lyrics, taken from “The Last Appalachian Cornfield,” paint a fairly clear picture of the band’s presentation on its debut, Hind Hind Legs. Now, you may be asking, “Clear presentation?!” Yes. It’s quite clear. The Lovely Feathers are insane, and it’s best to just submit to their eccentricities now. If you think too hard about what you find on Hind Hind Legs, if you try to anticipate what the next move will be, you will hurt your tired, overtaxed little brain. Just go with the flow, and you’ll be whisked safely through the journey.

If we play a little game of metaphors (similes, whatever) and comparisons, we can discover some important information about The Lovely Feathers. Let’s imagine punk rock as a limbless torso. How it came in to existence we’ll leave to the great creation debate, but for the purpose of this example, we’ll assume that somehow, a limbless, headless torso came to be. The viscera within are obviously acts like the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Stranglers, etc. Eventually, through some good ol’ bizarre-o mutation, the torso grew some big, strong arms (hardcore punk and crust), an empty head (pop punk), a lint-filled belly button (psychobilly) and arguably a vagina (Riot grrrl?). Other rear-end appendages came in the form of legs, or post-punk, long legs that ended in many toes that were at quite a distance from the main body (toes like The Fall, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, etc.). Here’s where The Lovely Feathers come in. Just as the album title suggests, these guys are the freakish second set of legs, a post-post-punk if you will, genetics gone completely batty and circus side-show.

Fittingly, the first exposure to The Lovely Feathers is about as awkward as stumbling upon a punklepus with an extra set of legs (or a punklepus at all… what kind of horribly ineffectual figurative tool have I created?!). The songs on Hind Hind Legs are derivative of punk, but they don’t really sound anything like punk, and they don’t sound like much in the recent post-punk revival either. While very experimental, the band still has strong pop-chops and freshly sharpened hooks, and it seems as though there’s a little something for all indie aficionados throughout the course of its running time. And so the mutation continues.

Strewn about in the mess of songs are liberal spatterings of manic new-wave, surf-rock, Sparta-style arena-core, disco inferno burnouts, Sonic Youth guitar-blitzkrieg, spastic dual-vocal tradeoffs, and the coolest use of (what I think may be) vibraphone this side of Aloha. While bubbly, foolishly upbeat songs like “In the Valley” and “The Last Appalachian Cornfield” are a blast, the band is actually strongest in its slower, more thoughtful moments. Tracks like “Wrong Choice,” the excellent “Mildly Decorated,” and “Photocorners” contain what may be the tiniest traces of angst. Even in these more dejected moments, the band never seems to completely shake its trademark eccentric lightheartedness, perhaps a reminder that nothing should ever be taken too seriously. Still, a fool’s charm is short-lived. While these songs sound like they could be about heartbreak or rejection, they’re still riddled with the Feathers’ terribly ambiguous and sometimes downright nonsensical lyrics. “Mildly Decorated” sounds like a pissed-off Sonic Youth musically, but it contains confusing exclamations like “I like the chapped skin above your eyes!” and “I know my fingers are veiny and striking.” At times it’s great fun, but sometimes you find yourself scratching your head with such force that it distracts from the listening experience.

Hind Hind Legs is bizarre. Beautifully so. The Lovely Feathers walk a fine line between outrageous faux-avant pretension and silly, feel-good rock. On one hand, it’d be easy to imagine the musicians getting all huffy if one questioned their motives (especially considering they’re from Montreal. Zing!) However, it’s just as easy to imagine them getting offended when their “art” comes under fire as it is shirking away in terror as they laugh and smash a pie in your face. Hind Hind Legs is a disorienting experience, but it’s a grand one at that, and it’s certainly unique enough to deserve a few turns of the collective indie-head. The band is still very young, and any shortcomings found on Hind Hind Legs are doubtful any more than wrinkles that will be ironed out with time.

So come on, just give in. A song that seems to be about carnally knowing corn. Empowered shouts of “Krakow, Poland!” An anthemic tune about disconsolate mannequins entitled “Rod Stewart.” How can it not be awesome?

Versus the Mirror – Home

I’m dedicating a short review to Versus the Mirror because it’s not rocket science. It’s rather clear to pinpoint where these guys fall in the context of current bands.

Home is lighter than The Bled’s material, but heavier than They’re Only Chasing Safety-era Underoath. This band could be influenced by both of these bands, from what I am hearing, and sound-wise Versus the Mirror falls right in between.

The constant screaming leaves no room for clean singing parts, but some of the parts would sound better without a struggling scream. I’m not in favor of this band becoming another typical screamo formula, but even hardcore bands find ways to vary the vocal delivery.

The songwriting has been stepped up since my introduction to Versus the Mirror, a self-titled EP. The guitar framework has evolved into something more sophisticated and melodic, and that contributes to the solid nature of this release. Regardless of that, Home will not personally be a ritual source of listening. Those more into the mainstream outlets of post-hardcore music will embrace this a little tighter.

« Previous Page — Next Page »