Transit
Let It Out (2007)
Brian Shultz
Transit show so much potential on their debut here, the Let It Out EP, it's disgusting. You can tell something's about to break out within their hybrid of influences (most notable being Fairweather, Hot Water Music and a touch of Saves the Day), but they're just on the cuff of letting it out -- whatever it is, it's an incredibly unique, heartfelt and earnest type of emotional pop-punk.
Opener "Shift On" immediately reveals the band's best qualities, with the melody from the guitars tugging at heartstrings and the sincerity in their frontman's voice, which, while is somewhat atonal, is complemented by gruff backups from his bandmates. A little work and he could really command the band, though. The song itself has excellent tempo changes and a complex structure that the band break down in a talented way.
The rest of the songs show that Transit also loves to play fast but tempered with a poppy and aggressive flair. However, almost all the tracks contain on-a-dime tempo changes, thoughtful guitar riffs and an obvious lyrical influence from the Massachusetts shore, showing terrific ambition for such a young band. The beach-themed "Cast Away" is one of the best here, with a deep-digging hook early on and a couple of incredibly brief yet impassioned buildups towards its end.
Let It Out isn't an immediately great release per se, but with so many attention-grabbing moments here and there you can tell something wonderful is brewing. With the band already planning on laying a full-length to tape, let's hope they can capitalize on all this promise.