If there was a middle ground between Hot Water Music and Polar Bear Club, three really young kids from Ohio found it. Reverse the Curse's 2008 EP, Paths bustles and bristles with five bouts of the beard-punk sing-along side of the post-hardcore die. One dude's gruff and the other's, well, gravelly; while their vocals are curiously whiskey-soaked for some kids who may not even be 21 apiece, and generally strained to the point of needing a little adjusting to their choice of delivery, settling in means getting comfortable with a well-worn though totally fresh sound.

"Brickwork" gets by on comfortably melodic opening chords before bouncing into a stripped-down howl, while "Swimming with the Sharks" turns into surprisingly dark and hushed corners once or twice. "Roll 'em, Boys" is marked with the slow-churning, frustrated type of restraint PBC fans have come to known and love before it collapses into cascading, overwhelming waves of guitars in the last minute or so and resolves itself with more upbeat, specific riffs. It's good to hear a little bit of ambition when it works.

A pretty great little release, with more surely anticipated recordings from the band on the way.

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Paths EP