The Search Party Never Came

These Boston yobs may have taken a nod or two from Norma Jean and Underoath, but this brand of gritty, dirty, nasty melodic crank and crush is their own. Signed by Epitaph shortly after they formed — and already undergoing a personnel change with a new lead vocalist — they know how to get it done. The melodic call and response verses that alternate between Chris' emocore pleading and growled black metallic Cookie Monster vocals are interesting — they'd do better to lose the latter because Chris can carry that with his given voice. Nick Lambert's guitars are a huge part of the appeal. He's not just riffing — though there's plenty of that — but he plays these really winding, tight lines inside the verses of most songs — "That Champagne Feeling" is a good example, as is "I Am the Wind, You Are the Feather." The album could have lived without the last cut, which shall go unnamed here, but Vanna shows real promise. Epitaph's track record for finding bands that mature is impeccable.