Atreyu – The Curse
(Victory Records)
A melodic-yet-aggressive combination of emo, hardcore, and metal, the new Atreyu album is a solid listen. The cover makes it obvious that vampires and darkness play a major role on this disc, which is full of songs that use said imagery to convey themes of lust, lost love, and death. No one will accuse the group of being original and gifted poets, but the images get the point across well enough. The first track with full verses on the album, “Bleeding Mascara,” roars out of the gate like a hammer fired from a cannon. Alex Varkatzas’s “gooooo” scream at the start of the album is powerful and sets the tone for the rest of the record, even though it has become a metal cliché to start off an album with a roar or scream. The combination of melodic and heavy riffing by guitarists Travis Miguel and Dan Jacobs gives the album depth and makes each song enjoyable to listen to, and it is hard to find a better line on any emo album than “Robert Smith lied, boys do cry.” The only problems with this disc are that most songs follow a similar growling verse/clean chorus formula and that the instrumentals are similar throughout.-MATT SOMERS
Comeback Kid – Wake the Dead
(Smallman Records)
The sophomore release from Winnipeg’s Comeback Kid (a band that includes two members of prominent hardcore band Figure Four) is an exciting blend of punk rock, hardcore, and dare I say it-emo. The tempo is fast throughout, the guitar and drums are aggressive, and singer Scott Wade’s voice tears through each track on the album with a desperate edge to his often-screamed lyrics. Most songs are rounded out by a chorus repeated in screamo sing-a-long fashion (think along the lines of Burlington’s Boys Night Out). The songs tend to follow the same formula, but the CD is still varied enough to hold attention. Some lyrics, like the title track’s chorus of “Don’t lose hope,” sound emo, and even a bit preachy-and no wonder; apparently they’re known as a Christian band. Even if the band members are closet Bible-thumpers, it’s still a solid album that’s worth a listen.-JENNIFER FABRO
Burn Rome In A Dream – True IfDestroyed, True If Not Destroyed
(Die!Venom)
Toronto has a fair record of solid instrumental-only indie rock albums-Broken Social Scene’s Feel Good Lost was proof of their genius before Feist got her howl on with them-and ex-Holding Pattern outfit Burn Rome In A Dream’s debut, True If Destroyed, True if Not Destroyed, is a great effort in the vein of pensive, jazz-influenced rock. The Brazilian/mambo-tinged second track, “Tyranny of Flesh,” backs its stuttering, jerky riff with drums ranging from syncopated pounding to endless rolls (care of Rockets Red Glare member/Jim Guthrie collaborator Evan Clarke). TIDTIND boasts meandering, plaintive guitars grounded by a steady rhythm section, and all that wandering from key to key erupts into bouts of finger-blistering noise on the album’s final tracks. Ranging from the melancholic and cautious and building to heights of blissfully intense distortion worthy of Thurston Moore, Burn Rome’s debut showcases an ensemble talent.-SARAH BARMAK
Catch 22 – Catch 22 Live CD/DVD
(Victory Records)
There are iconic live albums, like Johnny Cash’s Live at Folsom Prison, and there are live albums that are recorded as a lazy way for a band to put out a new CD. Catch 22’s new live album falls somewhere in between these two extremes. Even if it isn’t groundbreaking, it is definitely a fun recording that showcases the energy and enthusiasm of the popular ska-punk outfit’s live show. The band’s six members never overshadow each other, and the songs maintain a good balance of horns, guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. It’s an enjoyable listen for fans of the genre, particularly those who are familiar with the band already. The songs on the album are some of the band’s most popular, and the CD could easily function as a greatest-hits compilation. Included with the CD is a DVD that contains a live video recording of the Long Island concert at which the CD was recorded. Also included in the DVD are bonus features like tour shenanigans and music videos, but the highlight is the entertaining home video footage of the band members as mulleted adolescent band geeks. They certainly haven’t become popular on their looks, so check out the live album to see why Catch 22 is still drawing crowds after almost ten years.-JENNIFER FABRO
Choke – Slow Fade or: How I Learned to Question Infinity
(Smallman Records)
The new disc from Edmonton’s Choke will only satisfy fans of the whiniest, most repetitive style of emo on the market. The Smallman Records quartet do display a great deal of musical talent on this release, but it is the type of album that angsty 16-year-olds-who think that they are going to die because they were just dumped by their girlfriend or boyfriend of two weeks-will enjoy most. The instrumentals on the album give off a melancholy vibe and are excellently executed, but there is a major lack of variety from one song to the next. The disc’s second track, “Until Next Tide,” stands out most on the album. It features solid layers of guitar and attempted harmonies at various points. In fact, the guitar playing is the main redeeming quality of Choke’s latest work. All in all, it is hard to listen to the vocals of Jack Jaggard and Shawn Moncrieff for most of this album, as they are scratchy, off-key, and worst of all, whiny. Get this album only if you are a hardcore emo fan that can stand crying-in-the-rain vocals, not if you are a only a casual fan of the genre.-MATT SOMERS
Brazilian Girls – Brazilian Girls
(Universal Music)
This album blew me away at first listen. The 12-track disc takes the listener through a variety of sounds, from reggae/ska-inspired beats on “Corner Store” and “Don’t Stop” to pure electronic vibrations that make you just want to get up out of your seat and dance. The hypnotic voice of lead singer Sabina Sciubba is soothing, cool, and sexy. The rhythmic beats come courtesy of Didi Gutman on keyboards, and the rhythm section of Jesse Murphy and Aaron Johnston make the music so infectious that you want to continuously press repeat on your CD player. The NYC-based band offers up songs in four different languages, giving their music a diverse feel. As I sat there with my eyes closed, listening to the lyrics in English, French, Spanish, and German, it made me feel like I was backpacking through Europe again, tuning into a local radio station where I discovered incredible foreign music. As the disc came to an end, I opened my eyes and reflected on how Brazilian Girls is one of the most captivating discs I have listened to recently.-MICHELLE RUNCH
Andy Creeggan – ANDIWORKII
(Bongo Beat Records)
This eclectic and ultimately unsatisfying collection from former Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Andy Creeggan is a mishmash of musical ideas recorded between 1998 and 2002. Largely instrumental, this original mix of jazzy and classical numbers calls on a diverse range of instruments, and features brother Jim of BNL on bass. While “Viola No. 3” has some spunk to it and the murky “Dorian” for scaled-down orchestra creates a captivating mood, tracks like “Peacock” and “Sparrows” try respectively to set a stylish ambience and make a musical statement, but fail at both. “Izzy” and “Foups” have moments of fun, but as jazz works they sound like something off the Monsters, Inc. soundtrack. “With Dad” is the nicest track, with a touchingly funny conversation between Andy and his dad layered atop a sentimentally swinging background. Ultimately, this collection of Creeggan’s musical crib notes leaves listeners looking for a plot.-J.P. ANTONACCI
Taking Back Sunday – Where You Want To Be
(Victory Records)
The first rule of Taking Back Sunday is that you do not talk about John Nolan. On their sophomore album, the Fight Club-obsessed Long Island band mature in the wake of loss. The departure of founding guitarist and songwriter Nolan has instilled a new melancholy vigour in TBS. This comes through beautifully in the pondering and pessimism of “One Eighty by Summer” as Adam Lazzara croons, “I’m making the difference/It just seems pointless.” “To Hell with you and all your friends,” he sings on the jumpy “A Decade Under The Influence”-a reference to their debut album Tell All Your Friends. Other standouts include the boisterous id vs. ego struggle of “The Union” with its searing lyrics, “I never made a scene/They came to me,” and the explosive ricochet of “Set Phasers to Stun.” They may have lost a member or two, but their inimitable emo sound remains strong.-IAN LEIPURTS
Taking Back Sunday plays April 12 at Arrow Hall.
