The Matches - A Band In Hope

Band: The Matches
Album: A Band In Hope
Genre: pop rock
Label: Epitaph

Tracks:
1. AM Tilts
2. Their City
3. Wake The Sun
4. Darkness Rising
5. To Build A Mountain
6. We Are One
7. Point Me Toward The Morning
8. From 24c
9. Clouds Crash
10. Between Halloweens
11. If I Were You
12. Future Tense
13. Yankee In A Chip Shop
14. Proctor Road

The Matches have always been a band in a constant state of evolution. In the beginning, there was the debut, "E. Von Dahl Killed..." which boasted them as a fresh faced band with a mixed bag of songs that ended up being hit or miss. Then came, "Decomposer," which showcased the band infusing more electronics and showing a much more mature sound with the help of nine different producers. The result was a chaotic piece of musical genius that positioned the band amongst many year end lists. However, with great success, comes great problems, aka, the challenge to top it. So, after months of touring, The Matches entered the studio and the result is about to be unleashed to all of us on March 18th via Epitaph Records. "A Band In Hope," which, when said quickly, gives you a completely different title, is the band's biggest evolution to date, but the question remains, is it a step in the right direction?

Hope begins with, "AM Tilts," a call to order of sorts that showcases a little bit of everything that can be found on the album. First off, listeners will surely notice the absense of the electronics that flooded, "Decomposer," but this is okay because the song builds so well on it's own and when the last thirty seconds hit, you won't know what to do with yourself. From here, we're thrust into two of the most rock induced tracks The Matches have done. "Their City," as well as, "Wake The Sun," are poppy, but with sprinkled chugging guitars and Shawn Harris' soaring, earing catching vocals, you become entranced and settle in for the journey that is, "A Band in Hope." Speaking of Harris, he is at top game on this album in both vocals and lyricism. Lines like, "If I were you, I'd be thinking of me," are both humorous and fitting in a way best expressed through the unique voice Harris yields. The instrumentation, as well as the production, is best defined as simply amazing. The guitars sway and mold to Harris while the drums hit hard and carry a beat that keeps both your attention and feet following along. As the album progresses, songs like, "Darkness Rising," "Point Me Towards Morning," and, "Clouds Crash," demonstrate the vast influences of The Matches fleshed out in their works. Bands like The Clash and even Queen [yes, Queen] come through the twisted ride that is Hope. The ride concludes with the pop punk laden, "Yankee In A Chip Shop" [complete with gang vocals], and then moves into the solemn, "Proctor Rd.," which builds into a swirl of sound before ending with a single tone, almost as to signify that the ride is over.

The album is not without fault however, just as we've gotten deep into the album, we hit a single speed bump and it is the eighth track, "24c." It is a slow piece, but just did nothing for me and throughout the nearly every listen I've given this album, I've felt the need to skip it because of the good times I knew were coming. After, "24c," however, the album, the instrumentation, the vocals, and the production shines brightly and we can rest assured that the ever evolving musical chaos that is The Matches has once again made the journey into an unknown musical realm and emerged better for their efforts.

GRADE: 9/10