Sound: From First To Last changed their way to underground. It's pretty exciting because it seemed like they wanted to be totally mainstream band as their last record showed us. And I like the way they move. Music on the new album became more progressive, with all this hardcore, metal and rock elements mixed, great guitar work is done, all the musicians continue to improve their skills and showed it. Maybe songs not so catchy as on the Self-Titled, as their structure generally not simple as "verse-chorus", but they need attention and will gratify you, and whole conception of songs is built very clever, to catch your attention with super track Cashing Out, and to the end, Soft War and Now That You're Gone, that may remind you a little of a Heroine times, with some electronic stuff.
To my mind sound mixing itself could be done better, comparing to Heroine, but maybe it's idea to make sound more underground. Still it's very pleasent for ears. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics at a very good level. Not so emotional, but in some way cynical, social and more personal, very attentive lyrics I could say. Such lyrics as "Elvis Said Ambition Is A Ream With A V8 Engine", "Going Lohan", "The He Man Woman Haters Club" impressed me most as I see and feel them in real life. The best line of the album that could be claimed as the main idea - "now that Christians bought up hardcore and Disney owns the punk scene?".
Matt's voice sounds perfect on the album, but live he must do something to improve singing skills, it's his weak point. // 9
Impression: I could claim without a doubt this album is the best post-hardcore release of the year. It shows how post-hardcore must sound now. Band is moving on, and showing us new ways they discover, as much grown-up musicians. Such songs as Cashing Out, Going Lohan and You Me and the Significant Other are tho most catchy as for me. It's great that album has less in common with their old albums(and nothing in common at all with other bands), maybe less emotional as Heroine, and not so poppy as Self-Titled, but more professional, with ideas that must be shown to the world. I would buy it again of course, it's worth buying. // 9
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