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Remind Me To Burn These Pages (2003)

fatbrendan

Never Say Die comes cutting with shear intensity and power, in that power pop kind of way. The vocalist has a lower voice than most of the up and coming bands out there right now and the fact that he doesn't hit all the notes he's aiming for gives it a raw edge. Heartless Hero has the semi-hardcore breakdowns you've come to expect from a band in this genre. They have the grooves that get you moving in that familiar way. They have the screams that come cutting in when you think you're not expecting it but really are. The guitars do some dueling, and have some great harmonies. They switch up tempos every now and then, and by the time Home Away From Here begins you're feeling you've got this band pretty well figured out.

Their sound isn't anything new, and doesn't break any new ground, but they're polished and tight. The fading effects on Home Away From Here will please your ears with or without headphones. Every so often they might throw you something you don't expect, but all in all, they fall into the category that bands like Saosin, From First To Last, Story of the Year and Matchbook Romance have been using to make their claims to fame.

Despite the fact that I'm seemingly downplaying the sound and style these boys are throwing down, I am really enjoying this EP. With breakdowns and bridges that may not become instantly memorable, these boys play a good brand of music. There is no denying that the songs on this album are all well crafted and will feed your hunger for more of what is up and coming from this genre. When Fun Days rolls around you can sense the poppy side of the band in full force. This is undoubtedly the poppiest song on the 5 song ep, and is a change of pace. It's not the best song on the album, and is a far cry from being a great song. It's just another run of the mill pop punk song.

This EP isn't going to take your breath away and is far from earth shattering or innovative, but it will satisfy your tastebuds for this genre. However it does have that overplayed monotonous capability.