By Tim Lee
When you’re comprised of three-fourths of a legendary emo/punk outfit and you’ve been given a record deal on Epitaph without so much as an EP having been released, it goes without that there are certain expectations that need to be met. The Draft, born out of the pieces of Hot Water Music, meet and surpass these expectations and embrace their future on In A Million Pieces.
Chris Wollard, George Rebelo and Jason Black, along with Todd Rockhill, have bounced back from an all too familiar hiatus-turned-break-up of a band with legend and headlining status. They’ve returned with an energy and emotion that seemed to be lacking on Hot Water Music’s last two efforts. The Draft walks a line between sounding like a carbon copy of HWM and a rock band with a pop sensibility. Gone are the gruff and whiskey soaked vocals of Chuck Ragan, replaced by those of Wollard, who accepts his job without much fanfare. He takes his role as a singer by hugging the melodies and never trying to strain his voice.
What the Draft have done essentially is written a record that will appeal to a mass audience – ranging from hardcore Hot Water Music loyalists to fans completely unacquainted with the band’s past.
The record opens up with the anthem “New Eyes Open,” an undeniable statement of optimism for the project: “Forced to start again/ With new eyes open/ the end’s where it begins.” Lyrics like this abound on the record, which mostly deals with the struggles of making a living playing music. The Draft have found the secret to making the quintessential catchy pop/punk riffs and songs off of In A Million Pieces will be stuck in your head for weeks on end.
The Draft didn’t reinvent the wheel on this one. It’s not Revolution Rock, or even The Shape of Punk to Come, but it’s definitely a catchy, fun record that represents a new chapter in the musical lives of three fourths of one of emo’s most influential bands. As Wollard puts it on the track “New Eyes Open”-“That’s what I like about it/ It’s not so complicated when you run right through.” In A Million Pieces isn’t complicated and that’s what most folks will probably end up liking about it.
