The Measure [SA]

Historical Fiction (2007)

Ben_Conoley

I'm going to assume that there is another band called the Measure, forcing the band I'm writing about to refer to themselves as the Measure [SA]. I could be wrong, as I usually am. Nevertheless, I am going to refer to the Measure [SA] as the Measure for the duration of this review.

Now I'm sure that most bands love making music together, but once in a while the excitement people have for what they are doing spills across into the final product, as is the case with the Measure's debut album, Historical Fiction.

The New Brunswick, New Jersey band seems to be following the path of Defiance, Ohio, and This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, however with a lot more punk thrown into the mix. Historical Fiction is an exciting debut album. Its rough pop-punk sound mixed with the aforementioned and male/female vocals ensures that there's always a lot going on in each song. Admittedly, sometimes there is a little too much going on, and the original charm of the record gets lost as a song turns into more of a hustle and bustle, as what happens in "Ballad of a Falling Star."

The Measure is usually fairly quick to redeem themselves, though. Things open with a fun vibe on "Just Go," which carries through much of the album despite lyrics with a more critical, mildly political take on things. It's an interesting balance that can sometimes make "protest" songs more fun than you're initially willing to give them credit for.

Occasionally, the Measure falls out of their comfort zone, which is the only other stumble they make on the record. This happens in "Asbury Park," where Mike's vocals are way too sloppy in a forced way for this reviewer's ears, a criticism that is only juxtaposed with Lauren's much softer approach on the next song, "So Much for That Vow." When the band is on, though, as they are on much of the record, there seems to be nothing stopping them. I expect that when the time to record album #2 comes, they'll beat these criticisms to the ground.