"A poppier Thursday."

The friend who suggested The Used's self-titled debut to me described them as such. Now, don't get me wrong, I like Thursday, but that isn't the most ringing of endorsements.

Of course, after listening to the record a dozen times or so, I have a slightly longer, but, I feel, more accurate description.

"A much poppier Thursday"

Ok, I kid a little, but it is a pretty fair description. The band does play the volleys of hyper-melodic and intense screaming like that aforementioned band, but also pulls off some incredibly catchy anthemic rock. The opening track, Maybe Memories is an intense pop song, where the vocalist switches from screams to singing mid breath.

The record dabbles in radio friendly rock, and Buried Myself Alive could be a huge hit, with it's soaring, heavy chorus and it's gentle verses. The record does run the spectrum though, with the riveting back and forth of tracks like A Box of Sharp Objects and Bulimic, which bite as hard as anything by Planes Mistaken for Stars and soothe as much as anything from Taking Back Sunday.

However, it isn't a perfect record, mostly because of the lack of variety. Near the end of the record, I caught myself wondering if I had heard some of the songs before.

The song, that in my opinion, should have closed the album is the graceful "On My Own" a heavily produced acoustic track with strings, though the singers screams come across as a sharp contrast, and make the song more powerful.

Overall, the Used's Reprise debut is hardly original, but it makes up for it's lack of originality in pure energy. The lead vocalist is among the best I've ever heard, and it's a catchy and emotional record. Fans of Thursday and Taking Back Sunday will love this.

Second Opinion? Check out Jordan from Pastepunk.com's review
Hear Box of Sharp Objects at Reprise