Not bad. This band plays a mix of really laidback emo/indie rock with lots of smooth clean guitars interacting with a solid rhythm section alongside nice, calm singing vocals as well as some more catchy, rockin' elements. The songs can be sort of long, some hitting more than six or eight minutes, but they pull it off by blending their generally calm approach with the energetic distorted passages that don't alter the overall feel of the music too much, but do add a nice change of pace to spice things up. At times a post-hardcore sort of vibe starts to come forth, as does a tiny bit of pop punk (in a tasteful way, see "Too Many Tomorrows (Fair Warning)" for example). They're just good songwriters, and that's what it all boils down to. I like the production. The drums sound forceful, the bass presence is definitely there, the guitars aren't perfect but are very suitable, and the vocals are right in the heart of the mix, gelling with the music as they should. Very nice. If I had to change anything it might be to add some sort of punch to the distorted guitars, they need some kind of edge, but it's not a problem at all. The layout is pretty minimal here. The imagery fits the title of the record: Roads, interstate signs, automobiles, rearview mirrors, etc. But the text is kept to a minimum and presented and a tiny, compact format in the center spread. There are no separations, but I assume that the endless flow of sentences are all of the lyrics for the record, and they're fairly open. "So be careful what you wish for, it just might slip away if there's nothing left for me to say. Put on my poker face and maybe I won't see the ways that you've changed..." This is a good disc. I think cutting about 10 minutes from the total running time would be beneficial, because things start to get a little weary about 15 minutes before the record ends (not because the songs are bad, just because the CD is so lengthy), but it's not a huge issue. I think I'd enjoy hearing more from Kid Brother Collective down the road.
[One Day Savior]
Running time - 50:22, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Our Last Night, Failure by Design, Too Many Tomorrows (Fair Warning)]
One Day Savior Records - http://www.onedaysavior.com
