Number One Gun

Tooth & Nail have added yet another band to their arsenal of emo-influenced pop-rock acts like Mae and Waking Ashland. You probably already know the story, but here goes.

Half of Promises for the Imperfect sounds like Number One Gun are trying to re-write Clarity while the other half sounds like they just recently ended a tour with Copeland. The vocals are presented in a forced hush, and there is plenty of harmonizing. The guitars are crystal clear, the bass is a subtle undercurrent, and the drums a driving force on the rockers and a mere compliment on the ballads. At their most timid they could pass for radio pop, while at their most fierce they sound like Taking Back Sunday-lite. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…

Promises for the Imperfect is not a bad album per se; the songs flow smoothly with nearly no obstacles, there are plenty of hooks, and the melodies are pleasing, but ultimately it is just another faceless addition to an already oversaturated genre. These songs could have been written by any of Number One Gun’s peers with the titles serving as the only way to distinguish them. If you are looking for the same old thing, which hey, some people are, then Promises for the Imperfect is for you, but otherwise, keep searching. Number One Gun know how to execute the emo rock formula to a tee, now they need to figure out how to employ some innovation.

Oh, better song titles than “Regrets of Photographs” might help too.