Reviewed by Tony Cummings

A hugely impressive (record label) debut from a band hailing from rock capital Seattle who skilfully blend the post-grunge elements with a touch of punk and a smidgen of pop but never let the guitars lose their bite (witness the in-your-face riffing intro to the opener "The Fight"). Vocalist Matt MacDonald has a raspingly expressive vocal style while the thrilling sonics courtesy of producer Casey Bates (Gatsby's American Dream, Daphne Loves Derby) every rhythmic thrust. The songs are equally memorable, from the anthemic "Bitter Uprising", the screaming insight into the human condition "Flight Of Kings" and the moodily poetic "Who Needs Air" with its memorable lyric: "I'm drowning but I don't care/'Cause when you got what I got./Who needs air?" The cut "The Coldest Heart" with its delicious choppy rhythm has been selected for the Cross Rhythms 'A' list and though there's no hint of the Motown sound a HM magazine reviewer mysteriously heard in the track, it's still a pop rock delight. All in all, memorable modern rock, executed with flare and considerable creativity.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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