This budding indie punk rock band from Pittsburgh, PA has the talent and potential to make a decent album. However, the recordings done for their full-length album Standing on the Shoulders of Giants have the unequal quality of a live performance. The album does get better with each subsequent listen, but the strength (or lack thereof) of the vocals is something that's hard to ignore. "Agnostic" has the merit to be a decent song with a sweet beat and typical teenage angst lyrics. "Believe" is a great song to head bang to, and it has a really cool key solo at the end. They go a bit in the rock direction with "Jam!," which is edgy and heavy with guitar. "Pipsqueek + Buckwheat (True Love)" slows things down slightly, commenting on the emotional roller coaster of young heartache. The last 3 tracks are probably their strongest, with the standout single "Smile Like You're Getting Stitches" sounding almost creepy, but in a good Tim Burton way.
Most of the songs are a scratchy mixture of guitar and cymbals, with the listener wondering what half the words are. If you're a fan of traditional punk bands, give Underscore Adia a listen.
Song most likely to get stuck in your head: "Smile Like You're Getting Stitches"
2 out of 5 written by Freelancer Connie Redfield