Over Stars and Gutters
Consider This Your Curse (2009)
Brian Shultz
Over Stars and Gutters' Consider This Your Curse is an able, gruff, emotional punk rock record that should hit home with anyone trying to feverishly keep up with Hot Water Music retreads.
The slight but competent hooks of fairly simple, chugging numbers like "Written in Green Ink" and "Treading Water" reflect a knack for some decently catchy songwriting. But they also show OSAG's tendency to stretch things a little too far; neither song really needs to be quite as long as they are. Over in the second half, "I'd Rather Be Dead" has a nice reared-back, admirable anthemic part -- "just begging you please / you put this on my head" -- while "Between Sinners and Saints" adds some slick backing "whoa"s and a slightly faster tempo that hints at some Caution influence.
Most of Consider This Your Curse runs this way, though, simply offering rock-solid post-hardcore-of-the-scruffy-punk-variety songs; there aren't many moments that really jump out, but the band sound like they mean every word (I swear I didn't see this on their MySpace before I wrote it, no joke) and the songs never slip down some questionable course.
Consider This Your Curse might be following familiar territory, but it's terrain that tends to feel comfortable under even calloused feet.