Tegan & Sara - Sainthood

Let's get the obvious out of the way -- The Con, while critically acclaimed, wasn't the greatest record. It lacked the fun and the cutesy appeal of So Jealous, which was one of the best records of 2004. The Con had some great tracks -- "Nineteen" is one of T&S's best songs -- but as a whole, it felt like the duo was trying too hard to be taken seriously as artists. On Sainthood, Tegan & Sara combine the sounds and styles of both So Jealous and The Con into what sounds like their first full-band effort. The sisters have abandoned the dark, obtuse songwriting that brought down The Con and replaced it with a pop sensibility that is sure to recapture any of the fans who couldn't listen to anything but So Jealous half a decade ago. There's a level of accessibility here that has been absent in their recent work, and it's most obvious on the catchy lead off single, "Hell". The group is at their best when there's more rock in their songs, as evidenced on the album highlights "The Cure" and the punky 2-minute "Northshore". Though the duo's talent is evident throughout the entire album, they'd be better suited if they continued to make heavier and faster songs because they tend to capture the listener's attention better. Regardless of a few mediocre apples that come up throughout the album's 37 minute runtime, Sainthood is a great addition to their catalog and a whole lot of fun to listen to. You won't even realize most of the songs are about having a broken heart because you'll be too busy enjoying it. Like they say on "Northshore": misery is addictive.

Rating: **** (4/5)

Mayday Parade - Anywhere But Here

Despite the fact that the band lost their principal songwriter and lead vocalist in 2007, the boys in Mayday Parade have been able to keep the momentum going and their fans happy by doing their best to replicate their former vocalist's passion during live performances. By doing so, they managed to sell over 100,000 copies of their debut album and set the stage perfectly to do the same with their next. However, the band's sophomore effort lacks the intensity and creativity of their debut, with more generic songwriting and even more generic vocals courtesy of new singer Derek Sanders. Gone are the witty lyrics and distinguished harmonies, replaced by cookie-cutter pop that while entirely enjoyable is virtually indistinguishable from hundreds of other releases that came out the past year. The choruses are still catchy and the guitars are dynamite, which will secure the band success in gaining legions of new fans through radio airplay and iTunes promotions, but those who've been following the band since their inception are bound to question the new material. This is hardly the same band that released A Lesson in Romantics and none of the songs here would fit comfortably on that record. However, if you're the type of fan that can welcome change and give this a serious chance, there's plenty to enjoy here. "Anywhere But Here", lead single "The Silence", and the energetic "Get Up" are easy highlights.

Rating: *** (3/5)

Brand New - Daisy

If you were wondering what the worst possible consequence to freedom of artistic expression could be, it would be crystal clear after just one listen to Brand New's fourth long-player, Daisy. It's tempting, even after multiple sufferings (er, listens) to call it one of the worst albums ever made, but even that's a little harsh. More accurately, Daisy is just a worthless pile of trash disguised as a respectable entry into the world of genre experimentation. Much like Joan of Arc went overboard with The Gap back in 2001 and alienated even the most understanding of fans, Brand New has clearly gone unchecked long enough by anyone but their own egos and turned in a record that is near impossible to listen to -- let alone enjoy.

It starts off with a pretentious old recording as an introduction that after a minute or so turns into nothing but screams for what seems like forever (which would be fine if it wasn't Brand New doing it). After that atrocity, they try to recapture the sound of their last record for almost an entire song, but the problem is that they've injected it with so much b/s and self-importance that it's almost gag-worthy. The lead-off single "At the Bottom" is the most tolerable, mostly because it has some semblance of a chorus and song structure -- but whatever progress they made with that track was quickly erased once the song ends and the next one begins. "You Stole" finds the band attempting to be Modest Mouse (how original) for an entire six minutes, followed by "Be Gone", a track that attempts to mix old blues with a fluttering megaphone voice that annoys the listener so much it might as well be stabbing them in the ear with a pencil. After dealing with that nonsense, it'd be perfectly understandable if the listener wanted to abandon ship and listen to something else. But for those that decide to stick around because they enjoy being punished for whatever reason, parts of "Sink" are good, as are portions of "Bought a Bride" -- but it's not nearly enough to salvage such a complete misfire.

When you add it all up, it really only equates to 1 1/2 good songs (1/2 of "At the Bottom", "Sink", and "Bought a Bride"), which really ends up being about 7 minutes out of 40. The other 33 minutes are complete drivel, and prove that record companies interfering with artists sometimes is for their own good. Had a lovely A&R guy at Interscope intervened, they might not have helped release one of the worst albums of the year, and Brand New might still have somewhat of a legacy to fall back on. The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me was pretentious enough as it is, but at least that record had real songs and a clear vision. Daisy takes all of the progress the band made with that album and defecates all over it -- over and over again. If you can make it all the way through, you can bet your ass you're going to wish you could travel back in time and get your 40 minutes back.

Rating: *+ (1.5/5)

Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic

If you're one of those people who keep expecting Every Time I Die to release another album like Last Night in Town, you really should just accept reality and move on. It's just not going to happen. Bands evolve and, as years pass, they're bound to change course and try new things -- and that's exactly what these lads from Buffalo have been doing in the eight years and four albums since they were heralded as the saviors of hardcore. Hot Damn! was an exercise in directing their aggression toward more melodic exercises, Gutter Phenomenon was their attempt at mixing their unique brand of hardcore with southern rock (and failing miserably), and The Big Dirty took the best elements of their previous albums and combined them with Underoath's quest to find the perfect balance of melody and injury. For their first album for indie giant Epitaph (after a ridiculously long tenure with Ferret, the label that won the bidding war back in 2000), the band continues their "evolution" by putting some fine tuning on the sound they've been developing over the last decade. It's not so much as a step forward as it is a tightening of the things they accomplished on The Big Dirty -- the songs are angrier and more consistent for the most part, but the band does find the time to throw in some interesting melodies from time to time (lead single "Wanderlust" does have an intriguing chorus).

What helps New Junk Aesthetic stand out from albums past is the appearance that the band is finally comfortable with their role in today's burden of a music scene, and all of the past experimentations (including the ones that really missed the mark) have led them to a place where they can just rock out and spread the desire for violence and have fun. Throughout the 13 tracks and 37 minute runtime, there are of course some missteps along the way, but none of them are as embarrassing or unforgiving as any of the crap on Gutter Phenomenon, and when it boils down to it, New Junk Aesthetic has all of the goods to please the band's diehards and might even convince some of the holdouts to finally shut up and get in the pit.

Rating: ***+ (3.5/5)

Heartsounds - Until We Surrender

After splitting up their death metal band Light This City in 2008 shortly before the release of Stormchaser, both Laura Nichol (vocals) and Ben Murray (guitar) decided to pursue their passion for punk rock. They enlisted the help of some friends to round out the band and even reached out to former LTC producer Zack Ohren to helm the project, a band they dubbed Heartsounds. The resulting album Until We Surrender is twelve tracks of awesome punk rock with pop sensibilities, helped in part by Laura Nichol's distinguishable alto, no doubt affected by her years of shrieking and growling at the top of her lungs. However, Laura isn't the only vocalist lending her pipes to the project as Ben Murray shares equal (if not a little more) of the main singing duties. The two bounce off each other through the album's 40-minute run-time, with Laura usually handling the catchy choruses and Ben rocking the verses. The best example of how well they work together is the opener ("The Song Inside Me"), but there are a lot of other songs that work just as well. "Until We Surrender", "Slave to a Heart That Strays", "No Way Out", and "10,000" feature some kickass song structures and are impossible not to repeat. But then again, it's kind of hard to stop listening to any of the songs on Until We Surrender. This is going to be one of those records that sneaks up on people as an underdog and ends up being recommended way more often than not, and fans wondering what a combination of The Loved Ones and No Use For A Name would sound like if you added a female singer to the mix should definitely check this out immediately. This shouldn't take more than one listen for you to fall in love with it -- if it does, you probably should stop listening to music because it's clear that you have no soul.

Rating: **** (4/5)

Banner Pilot - Collapser

Playing similar music to their more famous Minneapolis counterparts Dillinger Four, the quartet known as Banner Pilot rip, roar, and take no prisoners on their debut for Fat Wreck, Collapser. Featuring a style of punk that has had a much-deserved resurgence of late, the band delivers on their promise of reminding punk fans that you don't have to listen to bands like Fall Out Boy to get your pop-punk hooks and that there really are bands out there that pride themselves in staying true to their roots. Not that there's anything wrong with the boys from Chicago who made the girlies squeal with "Sugar, We're Goin' Down", but punk they are not. However, Banner Pilot is the real deal -- with the sneer vocals made popular by Lifetime and Kid Dynamite fifteen and ten years ago respectively, Collapser is half an hour of pure delight. Songs like the excellent "Pensacola" might bring up memories of those other boys from Chi-town, The Lawrence Arms, and the album highlights of "Skeleton Key", "Northern Skyline" and "Losing Daylight" just might change your life, but when it comes down to it the entire album is just as amazing. In fact, even after numerous repeat listens, Collapser holds up because of its classic songwriting and melodic accessibility. Don't be surprised if this one creeps up on a bunch of year end lists. Highly recommended.

Rating: **** (4/5)

Passion Pit - Manners

Someone ought to thank their lucky stars that some brave indie soul decided to mix their beloved underground, intimate songwriting with bumping dance beats because if not for that person, all of the cool underground kids would still be in their basement and not tearing up the dance floor. And thankfully, the genre is still prospering and gaining new ground with all sorts of new artists that are ready to make the boys and girls shake it while at the same time hearing some meaningful lyrics and not the usual "Yea, she was a sexy bitch\She helped me cure my itch\Now I'm gonna be rich" shallow crap. As 2009 passes its midway point, there are more and more of these bands coming out every week -- and while most of them are good, there are some that are a whole lot better. Passion Pit is one of those bands that fall into the latter category; they're really fun to listen to, have some interestingly high-pitched vocals, and most importantly have some killer beats. With their second album Manners, these five guys do their best to channel their inner disco/drag queen and for the most part pull it off with reckless disregard to testosterone. Combining the 80s style of New Order with the 90s indie cred of Mercury Rev and mixing it with late 2000s style dance-pop like The Scissor Sisters, Manners is a straight-up winner. Forget The Ting-Tings and Black Kids (that isn't a racist comment, there's really a group with that name), Passion Pit is the epitome of indie groove. One listen to "Little Secrets" or "Eyes Like Candles" is pretty much all you need, but the rest of the album is so compulsively listenable you won't have the slightest desire to turn it off. In fact, your biggest problem is finding another record to replace it once it's over.

Rating: **** (4/5)