Here is the second album from this post- hardcore band that stirred up a buzz with the modest release of their debut that gained a cult following rather quickly. Falling some where between the jangle of 90s indie rock and the guts of hard core , they certainly care about the songs even when the more punk recklessness takes over. Though when that is kept in check with restraint and melody I think the band is best served .The songs are very short rarely breaking the 3 minute mark. The album's momentum sometimes carrying one right into the other is a way that makes it seem like the same song when explosiveness is allowed to be the leading dynamic. It is when they slow down into the more reflective sections of the song that I find the shine the most.
I like the bass line that leads into "Loverman". The more melodic sense about the song does owe a great deal to the emo of the mid 90s and that is fine by me , as it is also the golden years of the genre. When they hit the more rough edged flavor of punk that Hotwatermusic is known for it is less inspired , because well I already heard this from Hotwatermusic back in the day., But with two minute songs , if I do not like something as much it does not matter because it will be over soon enough anyways. They carry this over to some extent on "Get My Mind Right" but that song is catchier. I prefer the slightly darker and much more angular riff of " Life Notice". Half the song is the intro, the rest is in your face hard core.
The last two songs find their more indie rock side winning out. This works for me as it is the one I prefer , though I like when they give it more back bone . It is a delicate balance that they invest more in on the last song. They couple more of a punk drive with a more sonic lushness. Overall I will give this one a 9, it's a solid effort and draws from a time period in music that felt very urgent and alive, the last time punk as a whole felt like it was ready to grow somewhere.
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