The Shins played on Mother's Day at the Hollywood Palladium (where my high school graduation took place...weird) and it was fantastic. Having seen Bloc Party there a few years ago, I remembered how the sound can be strange, especially if you're not directly in front, on the floor. We assumed though that we'd be able to see the best from the balcony, and we did find a good spot, leaning against a rail, that I occupied for about half of the show. The band has a new lineup for this tour and the upcoming new album: reportedly Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse on drums and bassist Ron Lewis of Fruit Bats.  Having only seen them once at the Hollywood Bowl, I didn't notice if there was a difference sound with these new musicians.  But the band was tight and nothing seemed lacking.

The sound however was thin and odd up on the balcony, and James Mercer's vocals were echo-y. He said the name of a new song that sounded like "White Town", maybe, but it was hard to tell. I think this is it here which would mean he actually said "Rifle's Spiral"!  So after awhile, we wandered downstairs and discovered the joy that is the center back section, right between the two doors that lead out into the lobby.  From there, we got a nice square view of the stage and the sound was fine. Luckily, they played one of my all-time favorites once we were down there, "Caring Is Creepy", and it sounded amazing.

"Saint Simon", another favorite, was still great even from the balcony, and the thought occurred to me then that only a truly adored band could get an entire crowd to sing all together "la la la LA, la la la la LA la!"  It was a beautiful moment. Lead guitarist Dave Hernandez is the most fun to watch onstage, because he rocks out, even on the prettier numbers, somewhat defiantly, as if to say, "It's still rock n' roll!"  Not to needlessly compare two awesome bands, but the harmonies between Hernandez, Mercer and the keyboardist could easily have given Fleet Foxes a run for their money. They were show-stopping on one particular song that I didn't recognize, pitch-perfect and intense, with the stripes of colored curtains behind the band glowing in the stage lights.

They never did play my other favorites, "Kissing The Lipless" and "Turn A Square", but there was a cover of Neil Young's "Helpless" which I sincerely thought was "Knocking on Heaven's Door" for a second (same chords?), and a couple other new songs. The songs mostly flowed into each other, without much stage banter, but the keyboardist did point out that someone in the crowd was consistently requesting songs that were next on the setlist, and Mercer declared that the band needed to come back to L.A. more often.  Yes, they do.  It was a seriously fun, chill vibe over all.

Photo courtesy of The Shins myspace.

As I've been pretty busy working and doing life-stuff in general the past few months, I haven't had as much time to go to shows as I used to, so it was a nice break to be able to hit up the shows again this week.

Monday: Hot Chip at the Wiltern. Probably one of the best shows I've seen at the Wiltern; oddly enough, I didn't have tickets for this (this was their second of two shows at the Wiltern), but apparently they were handing out upstairs tickets after the first show and once I got there on Monday, I realized why. The upstairs section was pretty empty, so handing out tickets to fill up space (and get more money for the bar, one of my roommates astutely pointed out). Anyway, the show itself was fantastic, as they finally have a touring drummer, and highly recommended.

Tuesday: Dragonette at Cinespace. In all honesty, the only stuff I've heard of Dragonette is the Midnight Juggernauts remix of "I Get Around" from Kitsune, and their cover of Calvin Harris's "The Girls" (cleverly titled "The Boys"...), both of which are pretty ace. Perhaps it was just because I hadn't heard any of the rest of their material before, but the show was above average but not great. Martina (singer) has a great voice and all, but needs to work a little on stage presence, and the songs started to blend together after a while. Thankfully, they are going to be releasing their debut album on October 28th (my birthday!) through I Surrender Records, and I liked them enough to think that I will probably enjoy the album. I'll just have to check them out again after I listen to the album to make sure.

Wednesday: The Submarines/Brazilian Girls at the Wiltern. One of the odder pairings of bands I've seen in a while; Submarines singer Blake had this whole "I can't believe I'm playing here (giggle giggle), you guys are the best audience ever" thing going which, although I'm sure she was being very sincere, got a little tiring after a while. I'll chalk it up to nerves though. Besides that, the music was good and they did the best with what they could (using a quarter of the stage playing in front of an audience that obviously was only kind of into them). Brazilian Girls were pretty good, although they played a bit more from the newest album than they probably needed to. They had a pretty good excuse though - the mellow vibe of the songs were probably just what the very pregnant singer Sabina needed, so she didn't have to jump around a lot.

The Germs biopic What We Do Is Secret had its premiere at The Nuart last Friday and to celebrate, the surviving Germs played their first show at The Echo Saturday night since the very first show with actor Shane West as frontman. Aside from a national tour and many L.A. shows, the Germs have just recently played the Warped Tour and even made an appearance at Sunset Junction. Since I've seen them a few times before, and can highly recommend the movie, I knew The Echo show was going to be great.

In the past, Shane West has stayed in character as the late Darby Crash in between songs, and for anyone lucky enough to have seen an original Germs live show or, like me, just watched The Decline of Western Civilization, it was slightly unnerving. These days, West, a musician himself, tones it down a bit when not singing, and it feels more like the tribute of a serious fan.

Opening acts were local bands Spider Problem and The Mae Shi, the latter having already toured with The Germs and The Adolescents. Spider Problem were fun to watch because monotone-powerhouse singer Shayne is a sight to see onstage, not the least because she managed to give herself a head wound right from the start that continued to bleed throughout the set. She held her hand to it and continued to whip her head around violently, which was very appropriate considering the renowned antics of Darby Crash. The Mae Shi started their set while still off the stage, striding around the crowd singing unmic'ed at the top of their lungs. They launched into an enthusiastic set complete with instrument changes, scattered yelps, and general organized mayhem. "Run To Your Grave" and "Lamb and Lion" (HLLLYH) sounded great and the crowd seemed pretty into it despite the fact that they were mostly punk fans and not your average indie kids. One would think good music is good music, but I've heard some fans on the Germs/Adolescents tour didn't show them a lot of love.

The Echo had filled up by this point, and Germs drummer Don Bolles played dj behind the sound booth in the interval, wearing the same weird furry hat I have never seen him without. Then they took the stage, Nirvana/Foo Fighter-vet Pat Smear sporting his wide grin that lights up a venue, and bassist Lorna Doom looking serene with her cropped bleached hair. You have to give them credit for rocking out as hard as they do at what must be age 50 or so. Shane West's raspy growl and indecipherable words are still dead-on for Crash's, and his energy onstage is electric. The vocals were definitely not as loud as they could've been, and that is saying something for The Echo, considering it's the one venue where I don't hesitate anymore before getting out the earplugs.

GI's "Lexicon Devil" is one of the most fun songs ever to see live, as everyone in the crowd yells in the chorus, "Gimme gimme your hands, gimme gimme your minds!" "Richie Dagger's Crime" is another favorite with the infectious "oh woah woah"s in its chorus. Actual destruction was at a minimal, although there were some very big guys in the crowd: West yanked the cord out from behind the Camel cigarettes neon sign near the stage, which someone grabbed and started playing with, making the sign flop up and down.

Actors Bijou Philips and Noah Segan, who portrayed Lorna and Don in the movie, stood up on the stage, watching, along with punk scenester and former friend of Crash's, Hellin Killer. A really pretty girl that Shane introduced as Candace also came up and subbed in for Pat Smear on guitar, apparently while he went for a drink, and she was quite impressive herself. I'd be interested in knowing what band she was borrowed from.

The Germs were still playing strong when I left, close to 1am, still humming the "Lexicon Devil" chorus.

Photo by Erin Williams courtesy of The Germs myspace.

Local favorites Division Day co-headlined the Troubadour last Friday with the Bay Area’s Facing New York. My photographer had forgotten batteries for his camera, so all you get is a nice press photo of the boys. Division Day have been a favorite of mine since I saw them a couple years ago at The Echo and bought the self-released version of the album Beartrap Island (now on Eenie Meenie), and then promptly lost it somewhere at work. (I later got a copy of the new version with extra tracks “Ricky” and “Reversible”.)

The sound was weirdly murky and bass-heavy at the show Friday, but the band still sounded very good. Bassist Seb Bailey was the most noticeably animated, and fun to watch, while gravelly-voiced singer/keyboardist Rohner Segnitz and guitarist Ryan Wilson kept it cool and sounded polished. The band’s distorted, mellow songs are always rounded out nicely by Kevin Lenhart’s upbeat drumming and the show was no exception. “Ricky” has a great, fiercely tapping keyboard line that works well live and gives the song energy; several small groups in the crowd danced to that one and the infectious “Tap-Tap, Click-Click”. My favorites, “Tigers” and “Hurricane”, were awesome as always. My only complaint is that the guitar and keys needed to be higher in the mix, as well as Rohner’s distinctive vocals.

I missed the first band of the night, The Outline, whose song “Shotgun” I’ve enjoyed on an Indie 103.1 sampler, but who I otherwise am not much familiar with. I did stick around for a couple songs by Facing New York who I’d heard about at last year’s SXSW, but never seen. Their two drummer set-up was promising, and they were good musicians, but I didn’t get into any of the songs. When one of them whipped his shirt off by only the second song, it also kind of rubbed me the wrong way. After Division Day’s mellow presence, these guys gave off a lot of testosterone – they mic-checked with a Fifty Cent song, and later launched into a contrived-sounding number about bike cops in short shorts, who are “always giving them tickets”. The sound was funk-influenced and the best comparison I could think of at the time was Rage Against the Machine with smart-ass lyrics instead of De la Rocha’s politics, and no Tom Morello.

Artist: Northern Room
Album: Only Seconds E.P.
Release Date: Now Available
Rating: 6.5

There is a debate that goes into my mind as I ponder reviewing something new, and it has come to a head as I sit down to review Northern Room’s new EP Only Seconds. The debate is whether to solely follow my personal tastes in music (which, admittedly, are filled with pretensions and close-minded biases), or do I look at it in terms of talent, songwriting, and the overall quality of the work that stems beyond my taste.

Ideally, I should go between the two, but I discover how hard that is to do. What follows is the result of two things; the first, my own stubbornness; the second, the attempt to look at a piece of work in a wholly objective manner; a place in which I am able to state my honest view of this EP as well as give the band credit where credit is due.

Northern Room musically remind me of the power rock bands that pay quite a tribute to bands like U2 (in terms of style, not in actual execution). The sound is huge, with powerful guitars and vocals soaring above the mix, specifically into a louder chorus followed by quieter verses. The opening track “We’re on Fire” plays up this formula especially well, and on top of that, it’s catchy as sin. Furthermore, the song writing process is solid stuff, nothing that makes you cringe and ask questions to the great beyond as to why they would allow it. The vocals sound good and the music is produced well, especially in the layering of the guitars and synthesized sounds as well as the gradual build to the chorus.

The second song “For All These Years” has a similar styling as the opening track, again it’s nothing offensive. The real point of interest is in the third track “Stars of God” which finds the band using strings and finding comfort in a ballad style more than the other songs. It would be a perfect fit for popular radio.

In fact, the band puts together an overall package that is consistent in its strong points and doesn’t have noticeable weak points in terms of quality song writing. They definitely know they’re stuff and have the potential to be rocketed into the mainstream.

So where exactly is the problem? Well, I suppose there really isn’t one that makes the band not worth your time. The thing is, this style of music is much too grandiose for my liking. I never could get into bands with sounds like this (U2 and Coldplay) and bands like Angels and Airwaves who wish they sounded like this. It’s just not my thing at all. The band makes a very compelling case for me to try and give this sort of sound a chance, but alas, it still just isn’t my thing.

The eventual verdict has to come from people who listen to them. While Northern Room isn’t necessarily a personal favorite, it would be a large mistake of mine not to point out the talent and penchant for songwriting present in their music. These guys have a very strong and polished sound that is as accessible as it gets. They have “Rock Chart Toppers” written all over this EP. Unfortunately for the band, that sort of music doesn’t have that much to entice me with.

Both We’re on Fire and Northern Room’s previous EP are available now, go to www.northernroom.com or www.myspace.com/northernroom to hear some of their stuff.

Artist: Common
Album: Finding Forever
Label: Universal
Release Date: July 24th, 2007
Rating: 8.4/10

Avoiding the pitfalls of being too aggressive or not having enough in the lyrics department has never been a problem for Chicago rapper Common. In fact, when most critics pan his catalogue the main criticism is of his foreign, very experimental album, Electric Circus. Recently, Common returned with a more traditional sounding record known as Be. The album brought back Common’s lyrical prowess over tight beats and an overall more accessible sound.

After appearing in a Gap commercial (we all have to pay the bills folks) and creating the theme song to the luke warm film Freedom Writers, Common returns with a lot on his shoulders and a new record entitled Finding Forever. Does he follow suite and achieve Be¬-like success, or is he caught in Electric Circus purgatory? If you can believe it, he is able to do both.

First, let’s tackle the production on the album. Contrasting Be’s straight and steady approach to music, this album is a little more out there. It’s not quite Electric Circus, but it is definitely a slightly bizarre sounding album. What is most surprising is that once again, Kanye West is behind the boards for a large amount of the tracks. The exceptions to this are a track by the late J. Dilla (highly regarded as one of the best producers in rap ever) and Will.I.am of Black Eyed Peas fame. That being said, the production is a different beast than most commercial rap records. Each track has a lot to offer and showcases the beat makers’ respective abilities. Whether it’s the soul sampling in “Break My Heart” or “Misunderstood” or the striking pulse of the single “The Game”, the beats are a nice change of pace for the current spectrum of commercial rap. The producers have really spread their wings and created something very different on most, if not all, of Finding Forever’s tracks.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a Common album without some of the cleverest wordplay in today’s rap. Common in all respects is truly a poet, whether he raps about his own life, the plight of others, or even the occasional diss directed at G-Unit (see the track “Start the Show”), he does it with fluidity and always delivers beautiful verses. Lyrically, some of the songs deal with the idea of living forever in music, an idea that is presented in the albums title. This stems from Common looking at his music as a place where he can live forever as he believes J. Dilla (a close friend and musical partner of Common’s) does.

The strongest aspects of the album are when music and lyrics are put together. The tracks really manifest themselves beautifully and completely. Every track is an individual masterpiece and the album picks up as the songs progress. The lyrics are very introspective and the quirk involved in the beats helps to exemplify the thought process of the artist. For those who are looking for Common in the early days, you may be disappointed, but change is something that most artists have to go through; luckily, Common hasn’t made a career breaking switch up. In fact, for my money (because I’m one of the few still buying albums), Common has brought one of the year’s most diverse and enthralling albums of 2007.

Artist: Circa Survive
Album: On Letting Go
Label: Equal Vision
Release Date: May 29th, 2007
Rating: 7.4

Circa Survive have a blessing and a curse of sorts that occupancies their name. This is because of the notoriety of their singer and previous bands he’s been in whose names rhyme with Playosin. Regardless of the stance someone has on the band, it is commonplace for someone to have preconceived notions about the band.

At this moment I strongly advise you to throw away what you think you may or may not know or care to know about Circa Survive.

On Letting Go finds the band in similar territory as Juturna. We’re back to finding Anthony Green showing off his impressive vocal high notes over a band with two talented guitarists and a more than competent rhythm section (meaning drum and bass). This time around, things are decidedly more focused. The guitar parts aren’t as stand out, and the focus more than ever appears to be on Anthony.

Not to say this is a criticism of any kind, it’s just an observation. People have been commenting on the technical aspects of the album, but it’s frankly nothing astounding. The opening track, “Living Together” is a blast vocally with wonderfully high and pleasing vocals and some slightly clever lyrics, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary to me musically. It certainly doesn’t offend, but it’s a sharp contrast to what I found to be the interesting instrumentals in Juturna. The guitar work blends together far more than the previous efforts, which showcases a unity in the band, but contrasts sharply with what made some tracks such as “Holding Someone’s Hair Back” on Juturna so interesting to me.

Realistically, Juturna shouldn’t even be coming into the argument. That album did catch me by surprise however, especially being one of the few who never listened to Saosin prior to it. Of course, the comparison to the album brings my vote down a peg or two. It seems to me that the band found a focus point and has come into song writing more so than before.

The extremely verbose single “The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the Dose.” Is another example of Anthony being leaps and bounds the most interesting thing going on. The melodies in the songs are catchy, technical, and downright pleasing to the ears. The man can really sing, and the band does a nice job of accompanying him, but it never seems to really want to strike out on it’s own.

This is very apparent when it is actually time for them to set out on their own, to do something strange themselves, I just find it a little awkward. The song “Kicking Your Crosses Down” has a nice sound going for it and then the chorus switches time and feel and everything just goes off in its own direction, eschewing sense. There isn’t any sort of transition or anything, which makes it almost a shock and the sound has holes in it. It was a nice effort, but there is something missing from it.

In reading what I’ve written thus far, I realize this may sound like I hate this album, or am firmly disappointed with it. That could not be further from the truth. It’s a very solid album, and a lot of fun, especially on first listen. Although it’s nothing groundbreaking and tends to step away from what I thought made the first album above average, the band doesn’t put out a bad album. Anthony Green is one of the best vocalists around today in music. The band, although not quite as enthralling as Green, put a satisfactory instrumental presentation together, barring the occasional odd move or two. On Letting Go is really a mixed bag, some very high points, no real low points, but some that create a desire for something more from the other members of the band.

Artist: Interpol
Album: Our Love To Admire
Label: Capitol
Release Date: July 10th, 2007
Rating: 4.1

I sat at my computer on a website that was posting news about Interpol (absolutepunk if you’re curious), and I thought to myself, “Why are they making music still?” Then, taking a moment, I thought to myself, why don’t I review it and instead of behaving like a certain over the top British magazine, give it a (GASP) fair listen? The thought was fleeting, but I decided after a moment to actually peruse the digital downloading sites (the legal ones) and give it a try.

Expecting fully to despise what was coming out of my speakers, I put on the opening track “Pioneer to the Falls”, and was struck by the piano and stark atmosphere of the music. It wasn’t bitter hatred that I experienced, neither was it enjoyment, but it was a growing on me slightly. Was this the album that would turn me into a helpless fan of the band?

Before answering that I’ll address my feelings on the band in general. The lead singer does not sing, he actually warbles in a way that people seem to find appealing. It’s as monotone as possible and it doesn’t leave a lot of room for praise vocally. The music follows suite as well. It’s all very rigid and doesn’t take risks. As is such, I tend to find myself finding anyone who enjoys the music of Interpol to be fooling themselves.

Stepping off my pedestal for one moment, I found myself noticing the band taking slight risks with their sound, specifically the piano parts and the singer Paul Banks actually changing notes a half step up or down here and there. It wasn’t enough to make me a diehard fanboy, but it did hold its appeal. The second song “No I in Threesome” followed trend of the first song in the slow buildup of the first track and ultimately explodes into the single “The Heinrich Manuever”. Aside from being hilarious in name, “Heinrich” is probably the closest Interpol has ever gotten to chaos, and it’s refreshing.

They are still Interpol however, and they love to make rigid music. “Mammoth” follows the typical fashion of an Interpol album albeit the few instances of expletives beginning with the letter F. “Pace is the Trick” is a mantra to their style of sorts, finding them at comfort in what I find to be their shortcomings. The album takes leaps and bounds at times when it incorporates something new, think piano because that’s what I’m continually getting at, such as in “Rest My Chemistry” which begins with a haunting arrangement and shifts into the rest of the song.

Ultimately, Interpol’s sound is largely intact from their previous efforts. There are subtle changes here and there, but it is further enforcing the fact that this band likes their sound and feels no need to change it. I can’t say I outright hate it, but I can say that it falls short of any positive expectation I had from “The Heinrich Maneuver” and the opening few tracks. The band seems to only want to get by and self admittedly doesn’t make music to please critics. That’s just as well, because if that was there aim, I feel that they’re just about halfway there.

Artist: Rocky Votolato
Album: The Brag and Cuss
Label: Barsuk
Released: June 19th, 2007
Rating: 9.4

I’ve stumbled upon a secret to the inner machinations of the human body and soul. Everyone, no matter who they think they are, has a soft spot for guitar driven, recordings (harmonicas and a decidedly alternative folk feel are optional but help greatly). Don’t believe me? Look no further the acclaim heaped on anyone who has ever picked up a guitar and made music as a solo artist. The list includes Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Alanis Morissette, Bright Eyes, An Angle (at least the first album), Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, and it just doesn’t stop.

One would think that this list is just too long and that there is no room for another promising (or in Jack Johnson’s case, terrible) star in this area. One would be mistaken however as Rocky Votolato is the real deal. In fact, his latest album is The Brag and Cuss is a solid contender for album of the year in my eyes.

This is a bold statement, I am aware, but I fully believe it with all my thinking processes. The Brag and Cuss ropes you in right away with disarming and serene guitar strumming and pleasant vocal melodies on the opening track “Lily White”. The pace doesn’t lesson either. Track three, “Before You Were Born” is a little faster and finds Rocky’s raspy voice belting out wonderful notes and singing about knowing someone worth waiting for before they were born (you probably got that from the title of the tune). It is great singing and driving music.

In fact, the whole album seems to be the perfect soundtrack to a drive, not just confined to the season it was released in. The music on this album is of a great variety from the sunny summer sounds of “Before You Were Born” to the morose and heavy sounds accompanying the cold seasons such as “Whiskey Straight” as well as the in between seasons on basically every other track, most notably the calculated easy strolling pace of songs such as “The Wrong Side of Reno” which finds Rocky singing about a goodbye to a traveling companion. The album always is comfortable in every aspect.

The only real complaint stems from the albums length. It’s over practically before it begins. For someone such as myself, I found great interest in the album from the very first note, and suddenly the 11 track album was finished. Perhaps that is a testament to the enjoyment I found, perhaps it is just a short album, or perhaps it’s a bit of both. Regardless of this setback, this album has not left my car (and never stays out of the CD changer for long since I received it in the mail, and I have a feeling it will stay there for a long time to come.

Artist: The Fall of Troy
Album: Manipulator
Label: Equal Vision
Release Date: May 1st, 2007
Rating: 8/10

On first listen, it’s easy to be put off by the Fall of Troy’s latest album Manipulator however first impressions are quite often wrong. In the time from their previous effort Doppelganger, the band has achieved a massive fan base, toured extensively, become of legal drinking age, went through inner trouble amongst the band, and have become noticed far and wide for their spastic arrangements and their guitar player Thomas Erak’s fretwork. Soon it was announced that super producer Matt Bayles (the producer of Mastodon’s Leviathan and many others) would be working with them. This set the stage for mammoth (no mastodon pun there) sized expectations for their new work.

So what happens when the first single (“Cut Down the All the Trees and Name Roads After Them”) released showcases Erak singing and distinctively less showy guitar playing? The reactions initially were very off putting. This song is actually the album’s opener. It seems rough in production (which surprised me as I was expecting monumental things based on the way Bayles name was tossed around) and felt half like their previous album and half like they were phoning in something new.

Before going any further, realize something important about musical progressions in terms of style. No band should ever be expected to make the same album twice, and this is especially important with this album. It’s clear the band wanted to focus on singing a lot more on this release. Erak hits incredibly high notes throughout the album and is found screaming a lot less. On the song “Quarter Past”, Erak’s croons sound akin to Mike Patton. All over, he has embraced a stronger role as a vocalist on this album than ever before. Technically speaking, this album is miles ahead of Doppelganger vocally. It takes a moment to familiarize itself, but once accustomed to it, it really adds a different spin to the band.

Musically, there is a dramatic shift into a cohesive song making process as well. Previously, Erak was all over the map at any given second in the song. Suddenly, we see the band focusing a little more and the other two members really shining in the process. The band is very tight but tended to be overshadowed by Erak in earlier works, this time around however, there is a balance. There are moments where both the bass and drums stand out over the guitar work, such as on the last half a minute or so of "The Dark Trail", the second track of the album.

Because we are talking about the Fall of Troy here, what would the album be without its share of wild solos, breakdowns, and all around frenetic pace? They do deliver these moments, however they have a time and a place now. Tracks like “Sledgehammer” with it’s multiple breakdowns and instrumental breaks grab the listeners ears in ways that even Doppelganger era Fall of Troy could not. The album gets, for the most, progressively heavier in the latter half with tracks like “Seaatlantis” in which we find Erak’s new found voice mixing with the more technical aspects of the Fall of Troy.

As with all things though, the album has its share of odd moments. The tracks “Oh the Casino!” and “Caught Up” have drawn criticism because of their poppy factor. “Caught Up” is actually an acoustic track, which most feel is a complete contradiction in style for the band. The best way to explain these tracks is to say that they’re not bad, a little strange to hear, but showcase the maturity of the band.

A good way to fully evaluate Manipulator is to listen to it frequently. Even the first track grows on you with continued listens. It’s not another Doppelganger, and because of this fact some have alienated the album. The two albums are not comparable by any stretch of the imagination. While this album never fully excels past it’s predecessor, recognize it for what it is; a more than solid progression and a great sophomore release from an incredibly talented band.