Engine Down

“Engine Down” (Lookout!)

Compare to: Cursive, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Sunny Day Real Estate

It could have been an everyday tragedy. A talented but under-rated indie band already secure in a niche moving to a bigger label, upping the production and, in effect, completely watering down its sound.

Engine Down fans can stop biting their nails. Although the post-hardcore four-piece band had just the right amount of rust along its edges prior to this release, the band’s fourth album plays like a digitally remastered DVD version of a classic black and white film. The stark, composed-yet-screaming style remains in full. Engine Down’s trademark time signatures and minor chord progressions haven’t vacated. They’re all grown up and ready to be reintroduced.

Lead singer and guitarist Keeley Davis has always given the impression that he isn’t pushing his vocal range to its limits, which has actually proven to be one of the band’s strongest and most distinguishable traits. Once again, the matured, more radio-friendly version of Engine Down has retained nearly all that made it one of the best indie rock bands out there. Davis’ naturally nasal voice is depressed and content, subdued and strained all at the same time, and has been captured more smoothly than ever.

Missing from the album is guitarist Jonathan Fuller’s laughably horrendous yet impassioned backup vocals. His balls-out, off-key wails, while adding some respectable character, brought down otherwise outstanding songs in the past. For their self-titled debut on Lookout! Records, these outbursts have been replaced by subtle, more melodic harmonies.

This album is to Engine Down’s discography what “Transatlanticism” was to Death Cab for Cutie.

Elitists who prefer the raw, obscure-as-possible albums in any artist’s lineup will be most happy with Engine Down’s second masterpiece, “To Bury Within the Sound,” but for those willing to let a band with wings fly higher, “Engine Down” is what the band members said it would be — more them than they’ve ever been.

— Andrew Mabe

Saliva

“Survival of the Sickest” (Island)

Compare to: Drowning Pool, Sevendust, P.O.D

Disturbing dreams and gruesome guitar sounds set the tone for Saliva’s new album, “Survival of The Sickest.”

The whole album follows suit, especially the title track, during which Josey Scott shrieks, “I’m a roller/I’m a rider/ Number one motherfuckin’ survivor/ So move over/ I’m the driver/ I’m high and I’m gonna keep getting higher.”

The rest of the song showcases Scott’s sick and twisted mind with lyrics like, “I’m the hand up Mona Lisa’s dress/ I’m a smile on every criminal you’ll ever acquit/ When you fall off the horse you brought to the race/ I’ll be the one who’s flyin’ by you kickin’ shit in your face.”

The music is aggressive enough to be considered borderline metal, and the messages in the songs fit perfectly with the hardcore backbeats. There are even some intricate and stellar guitar solos thrown into the mix. Scott addresses personal experiences in this album like climbing to rock stardom, changes from becoming a star and surviving every blow the industry deals him. However, Josey and the boys don’t hesitate to let their sensitive sides come out on “No Regrets,” a song about past relationships and letting go of the pain that comes from breaking up.

“Open Eyes” could be considered a follow-up to “No Regrets.” Scott mentions coming to the realization of why the previously mentioned relationship went wrong. The only potential problem with “Survival of the Sickest” could be the fact that Saliva hasn’t done anything new stylistically, which will obviously not appeal to those who seek after something that’s never been done before.

Judging by the success of its past albums, Saliva has obviously found a working formula and will stick to it with no compromise.

Clich‚s aren’t always a bad thing. Saliva is a prime example, and the group’s already solid fan base will certainly dig it.

— Dan Hopper

The Shore

“The Shore” (Maverick)

Compare to: The Verve, Coldplay, Gram Parsons

If you are a fan of pre-teen soap operas like “The OC” and “The North Shore,” then you have probably heard “The Shore” playing in the background of some awkward make-out scenes.

This being true, you might jump to the conclusion that “The Shore” is just another one of those Hollywood-produced indie groups. And after listening to their debut album “The Shore,” you realize that your premonition wasn’t far from the truth.

“Hard Road,” the first track from the self-titled album is actually one of the better tunes, but is still peppered with unoriginal teen-heartbreak lines like, “I’ve been lost now I’m found/Sailin’ the tide to your heart.” The somewhat impressive qualities lie in the musky vocals of lead singer Ben Ashley, and the inclusion of a violin in the end of the song. Then again, adding a violin to a good rock song makes it great, but adding it to “Hard Road” just keeps it from being mediocre.

The case is the same with “Take What’s Mine.” Adding a piano part to a song can help bring it to new depths of melancholy or sweetness. Adding a piano to “Take What’s Mine” makes it seem fake, especially with sloppy “hearts and horseshoes” lyrics.

The rest of the album plays out like a bad kiss. Monotonous, never-ending, random and messy. By the time the last track stops, you just feel tired of the not clever guitar riffs.

If you like the sound of “The Shore,” there is better out there within the genre of post-grunge alternative. Try Over the Rhine from Cincinnati or The Belles from Lawrence, Kan. Or even go back to a more eclectic version of this sound with Thom Yorke and Radiohead. Let The Shore get you to the shore, but head inland for the real party.

— Kathryn Fiegen

Further Seems Forever

“Hide Nothing”

Compare to: Story of the Year, Juliana Theory, Saves the Day

Contrary to popular belief, Further Seems Forever is still together and has put out another album with yet another new vocalist.

Now that that’s out of the way, it might have been better if the group parted ways with its old vocalist. The band has been on a downward slope since its first release, “The Moon is Down.” This album, “Hide Nothing” is the third album that group has put out. It is the second release Further Seems Forever has done completely themselves, while “How to Start a Fire” included lots of guests. In a way, it’s a sign of a band’s death if it can’t keep a vocalist for more than one album. Relationships, romantic or musical, depend on cohesiveness and a common frame of mind. Despite all the effort anyone can give to a relationship, if it’s falling apart, it’s falling apart and nothing can stop it.

The band has fallen into the gap that many rock bands are falling into: formulas. It’s hard to tell one song from another on “Hide Nothing.”

There’s also a variety of popular effects, like echoing lyrics. The first track, “Light Up Ahead,” is insanely monotonous. There’s something to be said about repeating a good lyric, or using parallel sounds, but not this much and not a simple line.

One of the few upsides to the album is the integration of new vocalist Jon Bunch, from Sense Field. Bunch’s voice fits in well to the toned-down emo/punk of the album.

It’s obvious Further Seems Forever is trying to stay together and create the sound it once had, but no one realizes that it’s impossible to recreate a sound with a completely different vocalist.

The album is a solid effort on the band’s part to make something out of nothing. When a relationship starts to go sour, it’s time to move on.

— P. Kim Bui