Thursday, June 30, 2011

Change Never Lasts

Recently a wave of melodic pop-punk has swept the punk scene off it’s feet, as many hardcore bands have begun to lighten up and unashamedly show their softer sides, I.E Title Fight, The First Annual. Riding this wave can be dangerous however as it is quite easy to be sucked under by the immense pressure of mediocrity found within this sub genre. Before this tide of emotionally tinged music reemerged from the depths of punk’s abyss to torture the good people of “enter obscure island here” with its undeniably catchy hooks and feel good anthems, there were hints of its arrival. One of these hints being First To Leave’s 2005 release Change Never Lasts.

Taking some of the best elements from bands such as Saves The Day, Jawbreaker, The Descendants and The Movielife, the Bay Area’s First To Leave did not falter on their efforts to create an album filled with hook laden mid tempo grooves and songs about your ex girlfriend. Singer/guitarist Matt Foster’s soothing, yet harsh, voice carries the band along as memories of good times and cordial smiles wash over the listeners mind. The opening track “Making Waves” starts the party with a booming tom heavy fill by drummer Murtaza Sajjad that creates a chasm like opening, allowing rich and crunchy guitar sounds and a chant heavy countdown to flood through this void, taking the listener along with them. 

The stand out track on this album is by far “Operation” a heartfelt, well written, high energy tune about wasted time and missed opportunities. Beginning with a short solo effort by Foster it quickly breaks away into a high speed melodic chase heading straight for the rocks. Upon reaching the cliffside it takes a plunge into the unknown with a pounding build up and a weak pitch harmonic leading into a groovy mid tempo bridge. As the song slowly flies to the depths Foster says his last goodbyes with the lines “A world away, we’ll be envy,” backed by the lines “you and I are overrated/please don’t let me overstate it,” “while guitarist Michael Sterns slowly hypnotizes the listener into a  peaceful sleep.

Mostly sticking to what they know, mid tempo melodic pop-punk, First To Leave seems to have comfortably snuggled into their niche. However there are two tracks where the band decided, why not? Lets stick a limb out. One of these being the acoustic ballad “Amber Sunlight” a song that brings to mind high school sweet hearts, summer nights and open windows. The soothing vocals compiled in the background really tie together the sweet and bright sounds of Foster’s guitar with the overall warm feeling of the song. The influence of earlier Saves The Day surfaces with this song and the other breakaway track “Under Arms.” This song showcases the bands heaver side with a racing Can’t Slow Down era stampede that burns out into a toe tapping floater, closing the song with a quick burst of energy. Branching out can be a good thing, however this track seems slightly out of place and a little too hard for the rest of the album, although a good tribute to STD.

First To Leave effectively cemented their core sound with this album and would continue to as the years went by. The light yet crunchy sounds of their guitars, backed by the thunder of the bass and drums and Foster’s nasally well executed voice bring together a sound that has been copied by many, especially in the Bay Area. As a burgeoning pop-punk scene grows in the area all should be paying thanks to a band that made so many waves, pun intended, within the scene. I for one am glad to hear that the guys in First To Leave are still at it and look forward to more great times from them. 
Rating: 3.8/5

Monday, June 13, 2011

Rin Tin Tiger

 Many may credit the harmonica as being an outdated instrument in modern music, lying in the musical graveyard between the lap guitar and the oboe. However, San Francisco’s Rin Tin Tiger has triumphantly resurrected the ol’ pocket piano for their 2011 self titled release and the results are nothing short of sublime. Recorded live at The Thrasher Warehouse with additional vocal overdubs provided by Kyle Lesley and mastered by Aaron Hellam (At Our Hells, Troubled Coast) at Castle Ultimate this folk rock EP is chock full of delicate guitar work and harmonious vocals beautifully meshed and intertwined through great musicianship. 
The winding cry of a lonely harmonica kicks off the album in style as it’s wake up call alerts the rest of the instruments and following suit, they form a joyous melodious march in “Ghost Door.” As the song picks up one begins to grasp the alt-folk stylings of Rin Tin Tiger, a semi-conventional mix between Bright Eyes, Bob Dylan and Neutral Milk Hotel, garnished with marvelous song writing and retrospective lyrics. The down home guitar work and vocals tinged with a slight drawl are sure to make any fan of folk-rock, modern or otherwise, tap their toes.
Musically Rin Tin Tiger represents the purity of a midsummers day and the emptiness of a cold winters night, minor and major and up and down are all given out on this album. Peeling away at their musical onion reveals themes of heartbreak, yearning and loss. The insidious tale of an empty soul searching for excitement and dalliance unravels in the mid-tempo floater “Spooky Spider.” As the guitar transitions from a cheerful Zeppelinesque finger plucking melody; backed by the simple thwack of the snare and haunting angelic vocals, to a melancholic mix of rolling drums, scrambled samples and agonizing vocals, the listener can hear and feel this listless lovers passion and want. A simple beat slowly builds up to an extended sequence of “Woahs” and concludes with guitar work borrowed from Mr. Page himself.
The previous songs eclectic variances represents Rin Tin Tiger’s self titled as a full. From the upbeat, dynamically charged “Greedy Traveler” to the morose “Sweetest Fruit” Rin Tin Tiger is like that cheese and cracker platter so desired at your company’s Christmas party, so many choices and you just want them all. This choice is made exceptionally easier for you as each song is just a savory as the last. While some songs may drag on slightly too long, their is enough action and change occurring to keep a listeners interest peaking for the whole 22 minutes of this semi-traditional indie folk-rock album.

Rating: 3.4/5

Monday, June 6, 2011

Carry The Torch/Signs Of Hope

Like a ray of light triumphantly blasting through your bedroom window in the morning, Carry The Torch’s erratic and soaring guitar licks accompany a scratchy, powerful roar as you are awoken from some horrible dream with a stark new reality of the world. But don’t worry, CTT is here to help you pull through and with their counterparts in Signs Of Hope you will soon be empowered. Filled with messages of resisting social oppression and fighting personal depression, their new split 7 inch will raise the dragging mind of any listener.
Released on Goodwill Records earlier this year, CTT and SOH bring contrasting sounds to the table. CTT combine the melodic and technical sensibility of bands such as Misery Signals, Shai Hulud, Comeback Kid and Verse into a sporadic barrage of sounds. SOH stay on the simplistic side, while emphasizing the raging and overflowing aggression pumping through their veins, similar to ex-communicated hardcore acts like Blue Monday and veteran road warriors Bane. With two very different sounds originating from the opposite sides of the country; Sacramento, CA and Bridgeport, CN, this split showcases the sounds of two promising young bands.
Each band offers up two prime cuts of their home cooked style of hardcore. On the CTT side of the tracks the song “Color Wash The Devil Gold” propels pass the listener as it heads east. Upon arrival SOH welcomes friendly ears with their standout track “Life Everyday.” Technically speaking “Arches and Angles” spits on “Color Wash” unsympathetically, structurally however the latter track shines. While still being hyper-active and turbulent in nature “Color Wash” is strongly held together through shifting guitars that lead into flowing, anthemic rhythms. Auspicious lyrics such as “I have to learn to finally breathe/I have to learn to fully live” are projected through the harsh beating and pleading sound of their lead vocalist, while the band holds him up in his effort. 
This release is a somewhat departure from their last effort, 2008’s Dead Weather, being speedier and more chaotic, while retaining their core sound. Through this process many of their mid tempo, groove based metalcore elements have been lost, replaced by an updated and faster version. While speed may be more impressive technically, it takes away from the songs as a whole, as these songs don’t seem to live up to their former partners. 
Signs Of Hope bring the listener back with their old school sound and posi filled messages. The beginning of “Life Everyday” sucks the listener in before giving way to a ferocious combination of circle pit based guitar work and rolling drums. Sing alongs are scattered throughout the song and help to enforce the positive messages nakedly exposed and waiting for consumption. “You gotta pick yourself up man and turn it around,” words that carry much meaning in their simplistic formations. To cap off this fuming hardcore speech SOH implies an age old hardcore tactic, the butchering breakdown, guaranteeing that massive amounts of loose change will soon be picked up by all listening. 
Not straying too far from their previous release 2009's, Choices Made, worked in SOH’s favor as they continue to perfect their brand of strengthening melodic hardcore. Although similar to their split mates their featured songs don’t seem to compare to older efforts. Overall the split seems a bit rushed but still a solid effort from both bands.
Rating: 3.2/5