Reviews

I've often told people that nowadays, if you want to be a good band, either A- play something different, or B- do what you do extremely well. This is especially true if you are in the pop-punk genre. Staring Back fall into that "do what they do extremely well" category. This is a great cd. I admit that lately I've been less and less prone to listen to pop-punk, but this album has really grabbed me. It has a more mature sound, and Matt Evans vocals don't have that overprduced sound to them, at times they even sound strained, which is even better. The band does this whole pop-punk thing with a different approach in a way that I can't really put my finger on, all I know is that I like it. The songs on here show a lot of variety as well too. "Haunted" is a good example, with half of it being spoken vocals that turn into yelling at the end. It kinda reminds me of Strike Anywhere. Another thing about this cd that sets it apart from other pop-punk acts is how technical the musicianship is. It sometimes leaves you wondering "How in the world did they think of that part?" It almost seems that there aren't verses in some of the songs, but rather different bridges and then a chourus, which is good because it makes the songs less repetitive sounding. That's always a plus. This album has a more melancholy vibe, as opposed to overly happy, and that's good too. In fact, it ends on a rather dark note with the closer "The Problem With Fire." If you are sick of bland pop-punk, buy this cd.