Several weeks ago I recieved the new No Motiv cd, "Diagram For Healing". I was honestly so excited to pop it into my cd player. I have been a fan of their first cd, "The Sadness Prevails", and I was quite anxious to see how the band had evolved into their sophomore release.

The first track, "Celebrate" is familiar to some because it was included o this years Vagrant sampler. It starts the disc off on the right track, firing into the melodic punk similar to the first album. The next tracks the syle is somewhat different from previous No Motiv material. "Throw in The Towel" and "Give Me Strength" are two of my favorite tracks on this disc. They both showcase a new, more mature sound for the band, undoubtedly influenced by producer Trever Keith (Face to Face). It is quite evident touring with Keith, and working with him on this cd has had some impact on the band's sound. Some tracks on this record are reminiscient of newer Face to Face material, as they share the same edgy melodic pop feel. At first I was unsure of this new sound, but this album is one that will grow on you over time. I initially questioned whether this album measured up to their first one, and now I'm rocking out to this one and singing along. The overall sound of the album has a much more poppy feel from their previous work, which was darker and edgier on the whole. I prefer edgy over poppy, therefore I prefer their first album over this one. But don't get me wrong, this is still a great album by a great band. Don't miss them if they ever come to your town either. As good as No Motiv is on cd, they are even better live...