MEANS - TO KEEP ME FROM SINKING

Facedown Records

June 5, 2008, 11:30 PM

The first thing that hit me when I put this album on was the uncanny likeness to Swedish pop punkers Millencolin! But a few tracks on and I realized that Means have so much more to offer. The sweet melodic vocals come from guitarist Matt Goud but it doesn’t take long for lead vocalist Dylan Johnstone to jump in with his harsh, gut wrenching screams that sound a cross between As I lay Dying and Converge. If you take those two bands and then add in a bit of Comeback Kid, your not to far away from the Means sound.

They really do know how to write a catchy chorus with a great melody line and even manage to do it where the harsher vocals appose to the beautiful singing that graces most of the songs climax’s. The album is beautifully fragmented in to 2 halves by the slow song, “Steadily”. This is an absolute dream of a song and I would like to hear Matt doing a solo album in this style.

On the whole this album is pretty good, the high points being the chorus’s with the long lingering vocals. Sometimes the versus can just seem pretty average. Its not that there are any bad points to the album but it’s not consistently great all the way through. On occasion you find yourself willing the verses on so that you can get back to those fabulous chorus’s. This also has a lot do with the fact that the music is not technically very intricate, its all quite standard metal/hardcore style riffs and beats. They Are very lucky to have the great ability to write a great vocal line and that is their strong point.

If you want some solid playing under some great vocal melody lines, then this should keep you happy. It may also bring back memories of “No Cigar” by Millencolin, which was featured heavily on the gaming classic Tony Hawks 2. Oh the memories. So overall definitely worth checking out if you like your hardcore with a pop edge.