Driven Far Off

The latest on the indie, alternative, and rock music scene including news, music, contest, interviews, and more. Best described as your favorite place to find new bands.

Future Of Forestry – Twilight

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Future Of Forestry Twilight

Artist: Future Of Forestry
Album: Twilight
Label: Credential Recordings
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: January 23rd, 2007

Overall: 9.0
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 9.0

If all of the releases of 2007 are as good as Future Of Forestryâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Debut album â┚¬Ã…”Twilightâ┚¬? then 2007 will be an amazing year for music. This band has huge things ahead of them and â┚¬Ã…”Twilightâ┚¬? is just the first step. This is the band to keep an eye and ear on this year.

The album opens with two songs, â┚¬Ã…”Open Wideâ┚¬? and â┚¬Ã…”All I wantâ┚¬? that were also on the bands first EP, both of which are mellower in the verses but have soaring indie rock choruses. These two songs also seem to be fan favorites from the EP.

The next song is the albumâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s title track â┚¬Ã…”Twilightâ┚¬?. The song starts off slow but continually builds the whole time adding instruments and backing vocals gradually. Around minute three you realize that the song has captured you with its engulfing melody. The song then begins to gently let you down with its â┚¬Ã…”da da daâ┚¬Ã‚¦Ãƒ¢Ã¢”š¬? (Youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll understand when you hear it). The song â┚¬Ã…”You and Iâ┚¬? is easily one of the more radio friendly tracks the album has. The melody and hook begin the moment Ericâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s vocals start and the song just takes off from there.

Eric Owyoungâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s vocals on this record are what make it stand out and shine like it does. Causal, strong, laid back vocals reminiscent to those of Switchfoot yet with distinct originality. The album has the powerful guitars and drums that it needs to propel the songs like it does. Yet there are just as many ambient sounds on the record that give you the intimate feel that a lot of records leave out.

Go buy this album, bring it home, or listen to it on the car ride home. Please forget what Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve said in this review though. Neither the band nor the album need my hype, let this album prove its self to you, because it will.

Tracklisting
1. Open Wide
2. All I Want
3. Twilight
4. Speak To Me Gently
5. Thinking of You
6. Sunrising
7. Sacred Place
8. You And I
9. Sanctitatis
10. If You Find Her
11. Gazing
12. Stay Beside Me

Stellar Kart – We Can’t Stand Sitting Down

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Stellar Kart We Can't Stand Sitting Down

Artist: Stellar Kart
Album: We Can’t Stand Sitting Down
Label: Word Entertainment
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: July 25th, 2006

Overall: 6.9
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 7.0
Production: 8.0

How many times have you been sitting around thinking, I wish there was a new pop punk band/record I could listen to? My guess is that not too many people are raising their hands, and well, who can blame you. Stellar Kart has already released one fairly solid (although pretty straight forward) record, and to follow it up they released a little bit better second one.

With nothing against the band, or the genre, this release is just average. In the same way Simple Plan or Good Charlotte at one point may have grabbed some of your listening time, so Stellar Kart now takes the stage. â┚¬Ã…”Always Waitingâ┚¬? Sounds very familiar, think Blink-182, in the verses, and almost moves away from it in the choruses yet there is always this little voice saying â┚¬Ã…”I think Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve heard this beforeâ┚¬?. Not all the tracks are as familiar though, with some of the better ones being â┚¬Ã…”Angels In Chorusâ┚¬?, â┚¬Ã…”Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m Pretty Goodâ┚¬?, and â┚¬Ã…”Activateâ┚¬?.

The vocals are very solid and easy to listen to. The guitars are strong and in your face when they need to be, and the drums are spot on every time. Production is top notch and completes the pretty pop punk package very well.

Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve said it before, but I do think that this band is a good listen. Whether you they are guilty pleasure for you, or youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve been a fan for years, I think most people will find something they like about this record. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s average and overdone, yet it is just done so well.

Tracklisting

1. Procrastinating
2. Activate
3. Me And Jesus
4. Lose Control
5. Hold On
6. Always Waiting
7. Only Wanted
8. Finding Out
9. Wishes And Dreams
10. I’m Pretty Good
11. I Wanna Live
12. Angels In Chorus

Brand New – The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me

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Brand New

Artist: Brand New
Album: The Devil & God are Raging Inside Me
Label: Interscope
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: November 21, 2006

Overall: 9.0
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 8.5

Originally leaked as a demo in January, the first track on Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s much-anticipated â┚¬Ã‹Å“The Devil & God are Raging Inside Meâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is called Sowing Season. Much like its demo counterpart, the song starts without a musical introduction, instead breaking into a barely-changed lyric. Missing, however, is the original second verse. Instead, it is replaced with a catchy â┚¬Ã‹Å“I am on the mend/At least now I can say that I am trying/Hope you will forget/The things that I still lackâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s at this point in the album that we can truly see the glory of re-writes. While the original lyric was not a weak one (it was, in fact, a favourite of mine), the re-write fits the song more in terms of theme, tone and overall colour.

After the opening track (also the lead-off single), we delve into â┚¬Ã‹Å“brand newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ (lame) territory. Millstone is a raw track with a reverberant chorus that laments about the past, and the present (â┚¬Ã‹Å“this ship of fools Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m on will sinkâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢), and appropriately uses the analogy of a millstone around oneâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s neck (in case youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re unaware, a millstone is defined as an exhaustive emotional or mental burden). Overall, it is a catchy track with understated instrumentation and emotive lyrics, which is typical of the band.

Track three is where it gets serious. â┚¬Ã‹Å“Jesusâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ takes the band in a new direction. Religion is obviously a recurring theme on the album, and this song brings that to the forefront. Neither political, preachy, nor critical, the song can only be described by saying â┚¬Ã‹Å“it is what it isâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. A humourously analytical verse about what happens after death is one of the best parts of this song (Jesus Christ, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m not scared to die/Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m a little bit scared of what comes after/Do I get the gold chariot?/Do I float through the ceiling?). The obvious lack of a chorus in the song brings to light a solid fact about the band: they donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t need to conform to songwriting rules in order to write songs that are catchy, relatable and commercial enough to sell. Lyricist Jesse Lacey bares it all on this track, with nothing but a great result.

Degausser is one of the songs that everyone was curious about, having played it frequently on tour this summer under the title of â┚¬Ã‹Å“Take Apart Your Headâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Before the release of the album there were rumours circulating regarding this track. The final product is a mellow and subdued track in the verses, which explodes in the chorus with a choral round of â┚¬Ã‹Å“take apart your headâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Layering of vocals and muddy instrumentation give this track a unique feeling from the rest of the album.

Track 5 is â┚¬Ã‹Å“Limousineâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, an almost 8-minute song that starts off with a simple acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. After about two minutes, the song slowly graduates into a more defined piece, with repetitive lyrics (â┚¬Ã‹Å“I love you so much, but do me a favour baby, donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t replyâ┚¬Ã‚¦ cause I can dish it out, but I canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t take itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢), and building instrumentation. The anticipation builds for about three minutes before the track breaks into a softer denouement and some noise in the last 30 seconds. This song is demonstrative of the experimental edge that the band bares on this record.

Following â┚¬Ã‹Å“Limousineâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is â┚¬Ã‹Å“You Wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t Knowâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Aptly titled for its chorus, unlike most of Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s obscure song titles, the song has got a catchy melody and an overall busy tone. The lyrics take a back seat to the instrumentation in this song, which is not typical of the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s writing style. The conclusion of the song is my favourite part: â┚¬Ã‹Å“I canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t use the telephone/To tell you that Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m dead & gone/So you wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know/You wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t knowâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢.

A sort of intermission, â┚¬Ã‹Å“Welcome to Bangkokâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is an instrumental track featuring only sparse spoken vocals saying â┚¬Ã‹Å“Space cadet, pull outâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. In true Brand New fashion, it starts acoustically and builds into a noisy reverberant chant of distorted guitars, screams, and lots of hi-hat.

â┚¬Ã‹Å“Not the Sunâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is a more upbeat song that again focuses on vocals and lyrics. One of the more catchy songs on the album (I havenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t been able to get â┚¬Ã‹Å“Wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t you be my baitâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ out of my head since acquiring the album), it brings us back to Deja Entendu in terms of lyrical style. A favourite lyric of mine is â┚¬Ã‹Å“Say youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re my friend, but why wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t you be my family?â┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ Repetitive and fun, the bridge is probably my favorite part of the track. Slowing down the tempo, Lacey repeats â┚¬Ã‹Å“Settle baby, you are not the sunâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Overall, it is one of the best tracks on the album.The next track was also leaked as a demo in January. â┚¬Ã‹Å“Lucaâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, when released as a demo, featured a strong opening lyric (Well I lost my taste for the company of airports and cars/We flew through the year and/Avoided the dust and the rock). The opening lyric on this track, however, I feel pales in comparison (When I disappear, do you fear for the sister I took/ When I disappear, it is clear I am up to no good). Luckily, the majority of the rest of the song stays true to its demo counterpart. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s also one of the more structured songs on the album, which just proves their capabilities as writers. It also presents a recurring theme in their music. Like in â┚¬Ã‹Å“Play Crack the Skyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, there are many references to water, which I believe is an ode to their Long Island home.

Untitled (considering the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s history with titles, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m sure there was some thought that went into titling it â┚¬Ã‹Å“Untitledâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢) is basically another two minute instrumental with muffled vocals repeating â┚¬Ã‹Å“I can never love you, I can never reach youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢.

The second to last track is â┚¬Ã‹Å“The Archers Bows Have Brokenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, which brings back Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s affinity for longer titles. Seemingly to have taken influence from The Smiths, the song is driving and one of the poppy-est on the album. To me, the overall tone of the song, specifically the chorus, seems to have been derived from the 9th demo that was leaked in January. I could be wrong, but when I listen to this song I hear a lot of similarities. Overall, it is probably one of my favorite tracks, and is in some ways reminiscent of Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s first album.

The last track of the album is â┚¬Ã‹Å“Handcuffsâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Written by Vinnie Accardi, as opposed to usual lyricist Jesse Lacey, the song starts out a lot like â┚¬Ã‹Å“Play Crack the Skyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ with the count in and acoustic guitar. Due to its stripped down nature, and simple lyrics, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s a great way to close the album, as well, and the string arrangement is very complimentary to the tone.

Overall, the album speaks volumes for the direction in which the band is headed. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s a great compilation of some of their best work to date, and while it may dissuade some of the fans that prefer their poppier work, it seems truly artistic and original to me.

Tracklisting
1. Sowing Season (Yeah)
2. Millstone
3. Jesus Christ
4. Degausser
5. Limousine
6. You Won’t Know
7. Welcome to Bangkok
8. Not the Sun
9. Luca
10. Untitled
11. Archers
12. Handcuffs

The Human Abstract – Nocturne

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The Human Abstract

Artist: The Human Abstract
Album: Nocturne
Label: Hopeless Records
Purchase:Ԛ SmartPunk
Release Date: August 22, 2006

Overall: 9.0
Music: 10
Lyrics: 8.5
Production: 9.5

Bands are always trying to perfect their ability to mimicry the sounds and essence of other bands, that potentially have more success in the music industry. Spend an entire day listening to bands and youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll begin to notice that half of them are simply conjoined twins at the chest. One heartbeat, one soul, one existence. They are attached, identical, and they share one thing in common: they want to find the quickest way into the mainstream without having one ounce of creativeness flowing through their carbon copied veins. There comes a time when a band emerges from the womb that isnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t conjoined to anyone else; one band with enough creative masterpiece to fuel the country of India.

The Human Abstract hails from California and they are a sculptorâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s glorious creation in the midst of a stream of artificial musicianship. With their latest release â┚¬Ã…”Nocturneâ┚¬?, The Human Abstract showcases exactly what they are capable of and what their fans can expect from them. This band consists of a wide range of genres and clearly create music without any limitations. Every song on this record consists of elements of progressive rock, pop, European metal, acoustic, and everything else imaginable. The heavy segments are brutal and the melodic choruses are catchy. Each song transforms you into a soldier going into a medieval battle against a nation filled with angst. Each song is filled with enough drive and intensity to motivate you, fuel you, and bring yourself to a reflection of the self. The songs serve as individuals. Each one emitting an aura with their own essence and theme, giving the listener a chance to feel a wide range of emotions while listening to â┚¬Ã…”Nocturneâ┚¬? as a whole.

The instruments are preformed with excellence, as if the band members were born with their given instrument strapped to their chest in conception. The guitars will leave you in a state of amazement with the overall sounds feeling like an illusion, something surreal. The drums are pounding loudly and echoing into each ear, leaving you with a sense of pride. Some of the most admiring aspects of this record are the acoustic guitar and classical interlude, which happens to give you a chance to lay back, relax, and reflect.

The Human Abstract have created an epic record that will leave you satisfied with the fact that finally, a band makes a record that flows against the current. During the coarse of 50 minutes, the record will strap you down with a blindfold across your eyes, carry you over the shoulder of a seven foot tall warrior, and place you on top of the highest cliff. From there, the blindfold will be removed and as you look down, you will see one of the most epic battles emerging from every angle. As the savages tear themselves apart, you hear a distinct sound echoing in the air. With each swing of the sword, a guitar riff. With each pull of the arrow, the pounding of the drums. With each body collapsing, the intensity of the vocals relapsing. As the glorious revolution continues throughout nightfall, you can only hear one sound playing in the sky: The Human Abstractâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s â┚¬Ã…”Nocturneâ┚¬?.

Track Listing:
1. Harbinger
2. Self Portraits Of The Instincts
3. Nocturne
4. Crossing The Rubicon
5. Sotto Voce
6. Mea Culpa
7. Channel Detritus
8. Movement From Discord
9. Polaris
10. Echelons To Molotovs
11. Desiderata
12. Vela, Together We Await The Storm

MxPx – Let It Happen Deluxe Edition

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mxpx

Artist: MxPx
Album: Let It Happen Deluxe Edition
Label: Tooth and Nail
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: November 21, 2006

Overall: 8.0
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 7.0

The first time around, back in 1998, â┚¬Ã…”Let It Happenâ┚¬? literally was the soundtrack to my high school years. I remember getting it for Christmas and being in amazement at how they fit 30+ songs on one CD. Well the time has come, and like all good things that can make money, it’s now time to be â┚¬Ã…”re-releasedâ┚¬? and sold again, (although, they never stopped selling it).

There are 3 new songs, which are being pushed pretty hard. 2 out of the 3 are quality MxPx songs, with â┚¬Ã…”Prozacâ┚¬? falling short and leaving much to be desired. They put 9 music videos on the DVD portion, which may be worth the 10 bucks alone to some people. The old demos that were added to the record are fun to listen to, but I wouldn’t buy the record just for the old demos. My feeling is that the collection of songs that made up the original â┚¬Ã…”Let It Happenâ┚¬? is classic. In my opinion, it did not need to be re-released, but on the other hand if you do not yet own the record, this is a good excuse to go out and buy it.

It’s good to hear the new songs that were recorded with Aaron Sprinkle who of course recorded MxPx’s first CD. I hope they team up for the next recording that MxPx does, because we all know they can’t stand to be out of the studio for too long. If you have the record you might skip the â┚¬Ã…”Deluxeâ┚¬? edition but if you don’t have it, please pick up the record.

Tracklisting

1. Role Remodeling
2. Prozac
3. Your Turn
4. Never Learn
5. Begin To Start
6. Swing Set Girl
7. Sick Boy
8. Oh Donna
9. Small Town Minds
10. First Class Mail
11. Can’t See Not Saying
12. GSF
13. Thoughts and Ideas
14. Easier Said Than Done
15. Rock and Roll Girl
16. Important Enough To Mention
17. Elvis Is Dead
18. Lifetime Enlightment
19. Let It Happen
20. Hot and Cold
21. So Kill Me
22. Suggestion Box
23. Creation
24. Want Ad (Alternate Version)
25. Honest Answers
26. Late Last Night
27. Biased Bigotry
28. Circumstance
29. Do Your Feet Hurt (Critter Version)
30. Twister Words (Original Demo)
31. Suggestion Box (Original Demo)
32. Too Much Thinking (Original Demo)

Future Of Forestry – Future Of Forestry

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Future of Forestry Self Titled

Artist: Future of Forestry
Album: Self Titled
Label: Credential Recordings
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: August 15th, 2006

Overall: 8.3
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 8.5

While this EP did not hit me hard at first, when it finally did, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Only every once in awhile does an album come along that demands more of the listener than just causal listening, and this is one of those CDâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s.

Future of Forestry is still a fairly young band, but has already been gaining a ton of well deserved momentum. The 6 song self titled EP starts with â┚¬Ã…”All I Wantâ┚¬? which begins soft and ambient, quickly adding the soothing vocals of Eric Owyoung then jumps in intensely very quickly in to the chorus only to come back down to the mellow verse.

There are probably several ways to describe the music and sound of Future of Forestry but â┚¬Ã…”Passion Rockâ┚¬? keeps coming to mind. The music is anything from mellow to hard rock, but it is always successful at putting you in the mood that the band wants you to be in order to fully receive what they are trying to get across in the song. That should be the goal of any song writer and/or band, but this band just does it perfectly.

The song that got me hook first was â┚¬Ã…”Stilledâ┚¬?. The chorus, which is carried along primarily by the vocals and the rim shots by the drummer has a very catchy and moving melody. Please go listen to some songs from the band and if you like what you hear purchase the EP. I know I cannot wait until a full length comes out.

Tracklisting
1. Open Wide
2. Renovation
3. All I Want
4. Untitled
5. Stilled
6. Twilight

Tahiti 80 – Fosbury

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Tahiti 80 Fosbury

Artist: Tahiti 80
Album: Fosbury
Label: The Militia Group
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: November 14, 2006

Overall: 8.0
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 7.9
Production: 8.0

This album has something for most people looking to have a little fun and step outside the four chord, tradition “scene” band. With a little bit of dance, a little bit groove, and a lot of smooth pop vocals, “Fosbury (us edition)” really does shake things up in the all too often predictable music world.

Songs like “Big Day”, “Changes”, and “Chinatown” really bring the beats and make it hard to stay sitting down. Other songs on the record such as “Cherry Pie”, and “Alloveragain” slow it down a tad while really coming through big time on the melody.

“Fosbury” has two sides to it, one is the energetic pop side and the other is the mellower, almost somber side. It’s seems more and more rare to hear such a diverse record anymore. Both, and actually all, styles on the record are good in their own context, but at the same time it does make it hard to label this band as a certain genre because they do venture into many.

Whether you throw this record on in the background while having people over, or you’re listening by yourself I’m pretty sure, given the chance, this is a disc that will be well received by most people. Apparently this record is also coming with a 4 song EP. The EP includes a remix of â┚¬Ã…”Changesâ┚¬? and a cover of â┚¬Ã…”Happy Togetherâ┚¬? in addition to two other songs. With a total of 17 songs this release defenitly becomes well worth the price. I encourage you to check out a song or too if you have been getting tired of the same old thing over and over again.

Tracklisting
1. Big Day
2. Changes
3. Here Comes…
4. Chinatowun (US Exclusive Song)
5. Alloveragain
6. Something About You Girl
7. Take Me Back
8. Your Love Shines
9. Matter Of Time
10. One The Run
11. Cherry Pie
12. Somebody New (US Exclusive Song)
13. Empty And Amused

Echo Screen – Euphoria

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Echo Screen Euphoria

Artist: Echo Screen
Album: Euphoria
Label: Rock Out
Purchase: Smart Punk

Release Date: November 21, 2006
Overall: 6.3
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 6.0
Production: 6.0

Echo Screenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s debut â┚¬Ã…”Euphoriaâ┚¬? hitâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s on several good points musically and vocally while still leaving a lot to be desired. Echo Screenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s release is one that could and probably will get lost in the mix of every other CD from bands that are trying to stand out. â┚¬Ã…”Euphoriaâ┚¬? can be summed up with, overall a good debut from a pop punk band but in the end very forgettable.

First let me say for the same old pop punk style, Echo Screen does do it very well. The ironic thing about the album is that I found myself more drawn to the slow songs than the upbeat ones. It might be because the vocals are show cased more or the melodies are stronger, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m not sure, but songs like â┚¬Ã…”Octoberâ┚¬? caught my ear more than the ones that felt like they were old starting line songs.

While Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m not crazy about this release, and donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t think itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s breaking any new ground. I still think this is a good start for the band and is worth checking out. This band has a lot of standout qualities but there are only hints of what they are capable of on this record.

Songs to look forâ┚¬Ã‚¦ â┚¬?Octoberâ┚¬? and â┚¬Ã…”Rushmoreâ┚¬?.

Tracklisting
1. This Letter Bomb
2. Everything After Bradford
3. The Science of Stopping Time
4. Start Tomorrow
5. Gloria
6. October
7. Rushmore
8. The Five Cent Tour of the Pearly Gates Part I; Our Hopes
9. The Five Cent Tour of the Pearly Gates Part II; Our Fears
10. Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Society

The Working Title – About Face

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the_working_title.jpg

Artist: The Working Title
Album: About Face
Label: Universal
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: July 18, 2006

Overall: 7.8
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 8.5
Production: 9.0

The name “The Working Title” comes from the band’s wish to continue to evolve and progress as musicians. They held true to their namesake and progressed significantly from their last record. About Face is the world’s first taste of a full length Working Title album. Previously, the band had only a seven song EP entitled “Everyone Here Is Wrong” and while it was well received by critics and fans alike, it left listeners hungry for more. This time around, the band has chosen a more polished sound on their LP, and even went as far as reworking and perfecting three of the songs featured on their EP.

The best part about this record is easily the vocals as there is something incredibly emotional and touching about Joel Hamilton’s voice. He delivers honest and direct lyrics with the utmost sincerity. There are standout tracks like “Crash” which pulls you in within the first few seconds and the exceedingly emotional and epic “Turbulence” which encloses the album dramatically with the lyric “You have to be careful with my heart”?. With that being said, there are times when the record felt repetitive. There are parts on the album where some of the songs seem to drag along and blend together. By no means is About Face a bad record, but more diversity in the songs could have taken it from good to great.

Track Listing
1. About-Face
2. Nothing Less Radiant
3. P.S.
4. Glorious
5. Under the Ground
6. The Crash
7. Something She Said
8. Weigh Me Down
9. Never Run Again
10. The Mary Getaway (I Lost Everything)
11. Blind
12. There Is None
13. Enslaved
14. Turbulence

New Found Glory – Coming Home

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Coming Home

Artist: New Found Glory
Album: Coming Home
Label: Geffen Records
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: September 19, 2006

Overall: 9.3
Music: 9.5
Lyrics: 9.2
Production: 9.3

As part of the old Drive-Thru roster, New Found Glory were kings among their peers. Hell, even traditional punk bands enjoyed their company as opposed to other acts of the same nature. It all seems like so long ago. Times have changed and somehow, New Found Glory, despite all their previous success, still haven’t seemed to catch on to the younger generation.With their constantly maturing sound, chances of that happening are slimming, but if we can keep getting records as good as this one, I don’t care. People still tend to write them off, though. New Found Glory are ready to prove they’re beyond “just a pop-punk” band on their newest full length, “Coming Home.”

The first and most notable change is vocalist Jordan Pundik’s vocals. Long have complaints about his voice being too nasally come from critics and fans alike, but no more. Jordan’s new style has him singing in a lower octave and taking full advantage of his new found range. To help him along, the band are playing in lower keys and it’s only helping the songs more and more.

The album plays through like a nostalgia trip while still managing to sound fresh at the same time. The mid-tempo “Oxygen” opens it all, already signaling a change in the music itself, but when “Hold My Hand” starts, shades of New Found Glory’s traditional pop-punk shine through. First single “It’s Not Your Fault” helps showcase the new maturity in the band’s songwriting abilities and even tugs at the heartstrings. Title track “Coming Home” is definitely classic New Found Glory with it’s bounce-along verses and huge chorus. The rest of the disc keeps combining everything there was to love about the band before and all of the new elements that help raise them above the crowd.

“Coming Home” is an album that I can see people over thirty listening to with no problem. It has enough to offer younger and older generations and still be able to please them. Usually, New Found Glory albums are perfect summer soundtracks, but I’m really enjoying spinning this one with the fall weather that’s rolled in. For some reason, I think this album is going to be underappreciated, so I urge everyone to take a listen and then spread the word about how awesome this record is.

Track Listing
1. Oxygen
2. Hold My Hand
3. It’s Not Your Fault
4. On My Mind
5. Coming Home
6. Make Your Move
7. Taken Back By You
8. Too Good To Be
9. Love and Pain
10. Familiar Landscapes
11. When I Die
12. Connected
13. Boulders