By Bryan Menengus
Atlantic/Pacific- “Meet Your New Love”
Featuring former members of emo mainstays Texas is the Reason and the briefly-famed Rival Schools, Atlantic/Pacific are a peaceful disappointment. No influence from either band shines through on Atlantic/Pacific’s debut full-length, no doubt to the chagrin of old fans. Instead, the aptly- titled “Meet Your New Love” is a well-layered and mild-mannered collection of intimate, late-night songs, almost all acoustic, some bordering on ambient, but all a respectable departure from expectation. Stripped of the adolescent posturing of their earlier projects, “Meet Your New Love” succeeds, but in a way not immediately obvious.
Grade: B+
RIYL: Red House Painters, Grandfather Clock
Trophy Scars- “Darkness, Oh Hell”
If there’s anything Trophy Scars are, it’s original. No one makes music quite as bent, at least not on such an epic scope, as anyone who’s listened to 2006’s “Alphabet. Alphabets.” can attest. Genres, instruments and harmonies all drift in and out of focus on “Darkness, Oh Hell,” all very loosely tied to an overarching concept which, for the casual fan, is obtuse but thankfully not integral to the enjoyment of this EP. While originality and efficacy are far from synonymous, part of the daring of Trophy Scars is their willingness to slap together unlike parts and either soar or sink with the same confidence.
Grade: A-
RIYL: MewithoutYou, Cursive
The Sainte Catherines- “Fire Works”
The Saint Catherines are mid-tempo Canadian punk rock in the vein of the Lawrence Arms, mixed with some disparate elements of arena rock. They put out fun and heartfelt music without really pushing the envelope in any way (often their songs ape Off With their Heads in a way the oversteps homage). To indoctrinated fans of the punk scene, The Sainte Catherines will easily fall into the rank and file of four chord cookiecutter bands, but those on the outside might be hard-pressed to see anything too special in their sound.
Grade: B-
RIYL: Lawrence Arms, Dillinger Four
Kylesa- “Spiral Shadows”
While Kylesa are known for their sludgy pseudo-psychadelica and heavy dual percussion, on “Spiral Shadows” the boys from Georgia open up their sound to a couple fresh influences. Guitar tapes and gentle piano rolls flesh out “Spiral Shadows” in a way that enforces rather than softens their venom. Kylesa remind listeners that in their near-decade of avoiding easy classification they can still evolve constructively. To fans of hardcore and metal alike, “Spiral Shadows” is one of the more impressive releases October has bestowed upon us.
Grade: A-
RIYL: Crowbar, Converge