snarls : "Burst"

This is very polished to be this indie band's debut. The call themselves glitter emo alt rock. I am not sure about any of the genres in that equation being a good description for this band. They are poppy indie rock with a great sense of dynamics. The guitar goes from jangle to strum. The production on this album is pristine. It does have sthe sound of say 2007 so I guess that is where the emo is supposed to fit. The are more gentle and less rock than Pale Waves. They are moody , but not in a dark manner. I can hear where perhaps Jimmy Eat World or Paramore might have colored some of their choices when it comes to guitar sounds. The vocals are much more breezy. There is never a Haley Williams belting that erupts. Instead they go from one lazy jangle to the next. I do not mean lazy in that they are not working hard , but they are very relaxed.

They summon a little more of a rock intention with "What's It Take". So far this is my favorite song on the front end of the album. By the time we get to "Hair" I am hearing more grunge in their sound than emo. It is also the darkest moment so far. Things lighten up after this though they are pretty thoughtfully musing on "Concrete" which is sung with a great deal of emotion though I am not sure I would call it emo. It is a better song however than the less focused track before it. 'All of This Will End" is another explosion of feelings into a dynamic build. The vocals become more impressive as the album progresses. " Falling" is emotive , but not as smartly written as the other moments on the album where they are equally expressive, but just do a better job wrapping it up into a song that grabs me more.

The bass drives the title track more like a Cure song. Though this shimmers more than recedes into the shadows. I had to listen to this song a second time before I really latched on to it. Yes it is more shoe gazing. I like this album as they are not trying to be anyone but themselves. Some of these songs might still grow on, but I will go ahead and give this album a 9. It is one of the most stunning and well produced albums of this kind I have heard so far this year.It is filled with great guitar sounds and passionate vocals.