This quartet brings a tight mix of
power pop and power
punk to their album, starting off with the crisp
emo sound of
"Got It All." Fortunately, all the vocalists in the band can sing, relying on little screaming and wailing to get their message across. The tandem of
Rick Sanberg and
Chris Cron keeps things simple but quite interesting on this track. Slightly heavier and more radio-friendly is
"New Day," which sounds like a cross between
Gin Blossoms and
Semisonic.
Melee hit the sonic ball out of the ballpark with the lovely
"The War," which builds and gallops along at a great
power pop pace. It never falters either, despite going back into first gear for the homestretch briefly. The drum fill courtesy of
Mike Nader brings
blink-182's
Travis Barker to mind instantly. A lighter piano-driven
pop tune called
"Perfect Mess" doesn't quite measure up, resembling a throwaway or B-side
Hanson-cum-
Joe Jackson track. More piano schlock is steering
"Lions Cage" down a bleak dead-end, despite some sweet backing harmonies. Fortunately they return to their strengths with the
new wave-tinged
"Mestizos Love Song," with its keyboard-led bridge. It's melodic but doesn't come off as soppy as the previous two songs. And this momentum continues during
"The Curse," which relies on a blueprint similar to
Elton John's
"The Bitch Is Back." But again it's stifled with an average and melancholic
Ben Folds-esque
"Sleeping Through Autumn." "Routines" comes off as a very lightweight version of
Coldplay with its guitars and piano trying to compensate for a rather pedestrian
Billy Joel formula. ~ Jason MacNeil
![After the Disco [Bonus Track]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888837716123_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "After the Disco [Bonus Track]")
