Militarie Gun : " Life Under the Gun"

 Turnstile breaking into the main stream has apparently cranked up a bandwagon of more melodic punk. It is pop punk that is rough around the edges, and slightly more to say. These guys lean into the Turnstile thing pretty heavy in terms of how the vocal melodies are falling over the bright bounce of deliberate guitar. They do not have as big or slick of a production sound, nor do they use the kind of clever sounds and dynamics. They are using a syncopated jangle, but with an almost Taking Back Sunday like inflection to things. "Will Logic" might be the most clever and smoothly flowing song of the first three songs. More melancholy underpins the guitar going into "My Friends are Having a Hard Time". The raspy throat singing that still coats it self in sugar creates a less testosterone filled version of what Idles do  but more introspective than street wise.

You might be very attached to these guys already and pissed that I am comparing them to other bands. To this point I will point out that being from Los Angeles that is how the music scene works their. They take whatever New York finds cool and repackages it in a way that sells the rest of the world on it being cool. "Return Policy" works of a more unique syncopation. They do not stick to this groove, but clang out chords. "Seizure of Assets" has more of a sun baked attitude in the lamentations of the way they world works. "Never Fucked Up Once' is pop punk that is organic in the same way it was in 90s. Well at least the kind that was not on the radio.  They thankfully share none of their musical DNA with Green Day. 

"Sway Too" finds them slowing down the most, but it not quite falling into the bounds of being a ballad. The lyrics fall a little awkwardly over the melody at time but it works as a general rule. "See You Around" actually is a ballad, and an odd one at that. The title track that closes was a little underwhelming and brings nothing new to the table. I will give this album an 8.5, it is fun for what it is, it is getting a great deal of hype that is attempting to blow things out of proportion for what it is which is fun, nothing ground breaking going on here, and even a bit a recycling.