Change is good
Drew Kissling | 419, Ohio | 03/10/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a BTE fan since the start with the first, self titled album being my favorite. This album has overtaken that spot and is amazing. While a lot of people are complaining that it does not have enough screaming (which if I had to complain about anything, I would agree with this)the songs that incorporate screaming are epic. Hell or High Water is my favorite song and has one of the sickest breakdowns I have ever heard. This is a band trying to make a name for themselves and that is their inspiration to change their style slightly and I can appreciate that. Great album guys, keep it up!"
Two Birds with One Stone
Eric A. Brasure | Nashville, TN | 03/10/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Talk about hitting two birds with one stone... two EP's for the price of one album. Before Their Eyes' most recent release "Untouchable" opens with what is quintessentially the perfect post-hardcore screamo anthem, "Hey Dude!". Piercing vocals and uplifting lyrics it gets the album rocking from the outset.
Here is where it gets twisted; BTE has risen in prominence through its hard guitars and screams, so why not shift gears from 5th to 2nd and sing a pop-rock diddy? The vocals are clean and the guitar lines quick and simple. "Sing to Me" has mainstream appeal and definitely will be a focal point for the album. The following next three songs stay in the realm of pop-rock, closing with perhaps the best of the BTE Goes Pop EP... "My Match, Your Fire". For fans of Jimmy Eat World, The Juliana Theory, Yellowcard and the like, this section reads like a chapter out of the emo playbook.
Breaking up the two sides of this album is a contribution entitled, "Start With Today", which reads like a ballad. Featuring vocals from Kristen Williams, it's a song that demands a lighter and thousands of swaying arms. Lyrically it drives home the need to live in the moment and speaks of reconciliation.
Fans of BTE's two preceding albums will recognize the next four songs, as the dark screams return and the album takes a step into a depth that made their early music successful. "Finding a Way" will easily be a rocker's anthem and dream. However, instead of a hard punch to the gut to close the album, they chose to add an acoustic version of "Start With Today" which seals the album as exclusively one of the most diverse post-hardcore albums I've ever heard. Simply brilliant, It's untouchable!"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
