Capital

Homefront (2007)

Brian Shultz

Without a proper touring regimen, it seems like Capital will forever live in infamy as one of Long Island, New York's best-kept secrets in melodic hardcore; frankly, this totally sucks, but so it seemingly goes for singer Tommy Corrigan, who's held down the frontman positions in defunct cult favorites like Silent Majority and Blood Red. With the band's second full-length and Revelation debut, Homefront, Capital continues to fulfill the aforementioned destiny.

Homefront acts as both a love letter and op-ed piece to growing up, hardcore, family and Long Island. It's working-class punk rock without the white tank tops and un-ironic suspenders. Corrigan is simply a man telling his sincere thoughts on various subjects, causing nearly every song to be a standout: "Crossroads" defends the presence of illegal immigrants with the common but rarely embraced talking points; the self-explanatory "Mosh Parts" finds him laughing off bands clogging their songs with needless dance parts; "On a Mission" narrates Corrigan discovering his gateway to hardcore (Revelation's famous late `80s compilation, The Way It Is). Plenty songs make direct references to Long Island landmarks, too (the stuck-in-traffic / financial struggle of "Oakdale Merge," the LIRR train-hopping of "250 32nd").

All the past comparisons the band's garnered musically (Dag Nasty, Avail) are still somewhat apt, but Capital have clearly found their own niche here. Sure, the Silent Majority similarities are still unescapable, but only at certain points. Particularly, there's "Procrastination," a tumbling, restrained number where Corrigan growls corrosively over it all, and "Gold Coast," another mid-tempo, aggressively unraveling track. However, throughout Homefront's course, Capital clearly strive to offer both complex, multi-part songs ("Crossroads") and bursts consisting solely of short, fast and hard (the plastic surgery-condemning "Rubberface"), all the while providing versatile moods that range from dark and disgusted to upbeat and reminiscent.

Bolstered by four more songs and an improved recording over last year's Signal Corps, Homefront is an assured step up for Capital. While it certainly carries an appeal that any Long Islander should easily embrace, it's full of poignant points and aggressive, melodic hooks that anyone outside the island should immediately take to as well.

STREAM
Live Dammit Live
Crossroads
Mosh Parts
Gold Coast

[Vinyl released by Underground Communiqué]