The Obsessives are another attempt at carrying the emo-torch of the '90s. And not a bad one at all. They pay tribute to so many bands of old yet press forward with a contemporary take on the genre - admittedly one that we're hearing a lot of these days. There's a lot of raw emotion packed in which nods to the past like The Promise Ring and especially, Braid but Heck No, Nancy also offers homage to modern acts like The Hotelier, Annabel and Sorority Noise. Looks like another addition to the emo wave's here and ready to make a name. This is a good starting point.

The Washington duo don't reinvent the wheel much as they bat in the cages of scratchy yelps that tie into "Daisy" - an opener made for fans of State Lines, Prawn, Blis and It Looks Sad. Like much of the record, it thrives on catchy hooks and sharp, melodic riffs. "Home" allows more expression with its mathy/prog take which definitely wears a groove for those familiar with American Football, Enemies and Foxing. But what's most noteworthy is that they don't overly mimic and lose their own sense of style. A couple of these tracks feel a bit repetitive at times and midway, you're slightly drifting off. Maybe it's because the narrative's not that wide? However, this is quickly rectified when "Bored" injects life again. The loud/soft dynamic is cracked (as with the slight monotony at hand) and it's when they pick up this tempo, things really shine. Ultimately, the tracks blend together well enough. The production's polished where it needs to be and grainy/garage/demo in the other spots, creating a great first impression, With some work, we'll see The Obsessives climbing a bit more.