Artist: The Spill Canvas

Album: “No Really, I’m Fine”

Release: Oct. 2

Label: Sire

In typical indie/pop-rock form, The Spill Canvas has released their newest angst-filled, emotion-laden album since their latest incarnation as a group.

Don’t get the wrong impression – “No Really, I’m Fine” is still a very good piece of work, but it seems like we’ve heard some of this before. The song “Reckless Abandonment” is the standard cathartic love/hate song (catchy, but tired), “Bleed, Everyone’s Doing It” gives voice to disillusionment with the government, and “Lullaby” sounds like it could be on a Damien Rice album.

With all this naysaying, one could get the impression that “No Really, I’m Fine” is a painful experience, but that’s not the case.

The lyrics are some of guitarist/vocalist Nick Thomas’ most mature and serious to date and the songs are endlessly catchy, but in the end, it still feels lacking. Hopefully by their next release, The Spill Canvas will advance their lyrics and styling past the typical area of been there, done that.

&#8212 David Neff