Time Spent Driving

“Meh. M, e, h… meh!” This Simpsons reference sums up my thoughts on this album. If this were a really good album, I would have no problem writing this review. If it were terrible, it would be almost as easy. But I have no strong feelings one way or the other for this album, so I will just try to explain the music.

Most of the songs are slow and soft, with arpeggiated clean guitar parts that occasionally build to a louder part with distorted guitars. There is also a piano part here and there during the quiet parts. The vocals are always melodic (no big hooks really however) and sometimes almost whispered; there is no screaming on this album. Their lead singer’s voice doesn’t do much for me, for nothing really makes it stand out from other bands. Plus the frequency of flat notes gets to me a little.

There are not nearly enough of the louder parts in my opinion, because the songs never seem to go much of anywhere and most of the songs couldn’t keep my attention. A little more variation in tempo would help as well. These soft and slow songs just aren’t good enough to be at such a high percentage on this album. The best songs on this album are the upbeat, louder ones.

“Angel and I,” the opening track, is one of the more “toe-tapping” and faster songs on the album, and it also contains the use of a triangle! “Thin Like Paper,” the second track, is pretty good too, but uses a cliché emo guitar rhythm. It still kept my attention, but afterwards, the album slips. It picks up again at track 9 with “Sleep and Matchbooks,” my favorite tune off the album, and it also happens to be the fastest. With driving palm-muted guitars in the verse, some bitter lyrics, and riding on the crash cymbal, you can’t go wrong. However, this doesn’t make up for the rest of this tame and uninspired album. It’s decent stuff, but I don’t think it will find it’s way into my CD player much. Meh.