Springtime follow their 2012 demo cassette with another batch of very promising, riffy Dischord-style melodic "hardcore." Instead of tossing the formula out the window, they just improve upon it a bit, sounding steadier and more assured with their motives. Comparisons to Swiz, Sincerely-era End of a Year, and Dag Nasty (check "Here Now") certainly still apply, but it's not like there are many bands carrying this torch right now, so anytime similarities might get too stark, it can be forgiven.

Hell, Springtime even visit a lot of the style's lyrical tropes, from the dynamics of interpersonal relationships to complacency and self-improvement. The delivery's a delightfully, softly barked, comprehensible raspy front, though, and the band drive it well with playful, fast tempos ("Here Now," "Let Out"), and an upbeat punk flair driving the slightly slower opening title track and more thoughtfully structured 7-inch closer "Wait." A well-done digital bonus cover of Fugazi's "Great Cop" mixes in seamlessly, of course. Hard to imagine that Springtime will soon follow with anything less than a very solid full-length, even if they stick to their stylistic guns.