Independent recordings like 's self-released usually benefit from their low-budget rawness and immediacy. In the studio, the first take is almost always the emotional keeper, and without major-label funding, who can afford to waste hours trying to get it just right? This studio abandon ensures a personal sound that adds greatly to the charm of independent releases. This is not the case, however, with . Some serious rethinking of the mixes and drum performances would have been an enormous benefit to the album. The loud/quiet band aesthetic is mismatched with a loud/loud drumming approach whose dynamic limitations are exceeded only by its wavering meter. It's rare that such a technical problem overshadows otherwise decent material, but between this rhythmic tragedy and the poorly recorded vocals (which on occasion sound like simple mumbling), is a bit of a flop. ~ Vincent Jeffries