As a reviewer I believe that I’m supposed to have my own opinions and draw my own conclusions about records. I saw the Carrier’s debut full-length One Year Later as good album but more of a promise of better things to come. Since then, they signed to Deathwish, Inc. last year, and I then caught a highly impressive live set from them and heard the hype compounding on the Internet.

So what do I hear about this band? I hear they have great lyrics. I’ve heard that people have been crying at their shows like some sort of throwback to early `90s emo. I hear that they are the next Modern Life Is War. People often throw around the term “favorite band” when talking about them. Coupling all that with the promise inherent on their album, I’m surprisingly left scratching my head with this release.

Like the full-length it has a good sound and everything seems to be in its right place. There’s solid playing, a vocalist with a nice delivery and great production. So what’s the problem? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think that it has something to do with the fact that nothing exciting happens at any point during these three songs. I’ve put this on multiple times wanting to like it and it just doesn’t happen. I just keeping waiting and hoping that something will grab me and then suddenly the record is over.

As far as the lyrics go, this band gets a ton of credit. I’ve been told that these three songs tell a story and from what I can piece together it’s about some sort of apocalyptic train ride where the conductor is God and passing judgment on the people on the train. Somehow the vocalist, as the protagonist, survives, and he’s left living in something of a terrible and forgotten world. It’s pretty dark and has themes of anti-religion, anti-civilization and a general sense of self-hate. It’s an interesting idea, but doesn’t quite reach the profundity it strives for.

I know that most people that have checked out this release enjoy it, and I definitely haven’t lost all hope for this band. I just hope they can buckle down and raise their own expectations because they are capable of making much more interesting music.

P.S. -- Great artwork.