Somehow Hollow - Busted Wings & Rusted Halos

Somehow Hollow
Busted Wings & Rusted Halos
Victory Records
Grade: A-

From the ashes of the disposed Canadian punk gods Grade comes the second release for Somehow Hollow; their first album was released in 2001 on Canadian label East End Industries. Started initially as a side project for Mike Casarin, Kent Abbott and Drew Clark (well, the comings and goings are complicated), it became full-time event earlier this year when Grade crumbled. Picking up where Grade left off, Busted Wings & Rusted Halos is clearly one of the best releases of the new year.

Somehow Hollow plays a very mature style of left coast pop-punk. Hence, you have the innocence and melody of Fat Wreck-type bands but mixed with quickly changing drum beats, multi-layered singing and rhythmic soloing. Besides, obviously to Grade, Somehow Hollow may be compared to Taking Back Sunday, Flashlight Brown, the Movielife, etc. Some of the guitar riffs are simply amazing, drawing the listener in and providing the goose bumps that music should be designed to deliver. This is clearly demonstrated in the opening to "Darkest Day;" among many of the other tracks. In addition to the melody, Somehow Hollow mixes in some metal and hardcore influences on the margin to give the songs some cross-genre resonance (for instance, the beginning of "Busted Stereos and Myself"). Although most of the songs rock, a few standout including "How Winter Killed Our Souls," "Broken Chords" and "The Witch of Glen Cedar Gate."

Based on this release, the music world will much better off if Somehow Hollow hung around for sometime to come. Busted Wings & Rusted Halos is a solid album by a group of seasoned veterans with nothing to prove but looking to play some good music. This record promises to be on of the top releases on Victory this season, so definitely snatch it up.