Noise Ratchet

Till We Have Faces (2002)

Carlo-UnitedFront

Described to me as a mix of punk, alternative rock, post-grunge and emo, I really did not know what to expect from these guys from San Diego, Noise Ratchet. Then I heard comparisons to Jimmy Eat World and Sunny Day Real Estate and I started figuring out what this band was about. To tell the truth, I was wrong. I mean, it is not those comparison were wrong, but I'd say Noise Ratchet have that good pop vibe that not a lot of bands around today have, and considering I am not a fan of Jimmy Eat World in any way, I can say, luckily Noise Ratchet are different from that band.
This is the point, "Till We Have Faces" has twelve catchy pop tunes, inspired by different styles that you can call whatever you want, from emo to hardcore to punk, I call it just pop. Or way better, rock. From tracks as "Vanity" and "End" to "Permanent Solutions" and "Away From You", the band shows how they are able to creat songs without the need of saying "we sound like this and that".
The first full length from Noise Ratchet is a record you have to listen to before you can say anything about it. It is a good album, tough, very original and with no clichè or way of posing other bands, Noise Ratchet do it their own way. And they do it well. Plus, the album was recorded in such a great studio as the Encinitas' Bigfish Studios, were bands as Blink182, Rocket From the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Jimmy Eat World and Mineral already recorded. I think that I could suggest this record to any lover of rock music, and if you like Further Seems Forever you are very near to like Noise Ratchet as well, but as I said, nothing can be figured out of this record without listening to it before. Look for it.