Be sure to check out Midtown's latest album, "Busted Wings and Rusted Halos," it is sure toâ¦wait, this isn't Midtown? You sure?
Sub is to hoagie, as Midtown is to⦠Somehow Hollow. Same thing, different moniker. It's uncanny how similar these bands sound. They even go as far as having a lead singer that sounds like he has a cold, like that one guy (Heath maybe?) in Midtown. You'd think that since all four members were in Grade by the point of their demise, they'd head a little more that direction, but no. In conclusion, if you like Midtown, you will like these guys. Yeah, I guess I should take up a little more space here⦠so how âbout that weather / local sports team?
Ok, I suppose there are a few subtle differences I could go into. The hooks here are not quite as memorable as those of Midtown, though there are some good ones such as in the chorus of "Walking Clothed Foot" (yeah, they have some dumb song titles). Somehow Hollow throws in some slightly hardcore guitar licks, such as an almost Thrice-sounding (though not as insanely fast) dual guitar riff in the bridge of "How Winter Killed our Souls." Somehow Hollow tries again to hint to hardcore with the double-bass in the middle of "Darkest Day," but it just seems forced and makes the whole band sound sloppy.
There is no screaming on this album whatsoever, in its place are lots of vocal harmonies and they are pulled off well, like in the opener "Kamloops", one of the best tracks on the album. Most of the other tracks are pretty good, except maybe "Never Let You Go" which even almost saves itself in the interlude. This album isn't half-bad, but Grade transforming into Midto - I mean, Somehow Hollow, is just another sign that Victory may eventually become Drive Thru II.