Small Towns Burn a Little Slower borrow heavily from the Taking Back Sunday school of emo songwriting. As a consequence, this self-titled disc could very easily find its way to a mainstream audience. The group deviates somewhat from the current popular formula, focusing more on the pop end of the spectrum and avoiding a lot of the hardcore undertones (i.e. they don’t scream very much). This will please youthful listeners who’ve secretly been hoping for a gentler emo variant, but if you’re looking for nostril-flaring fury, look elsewhere. That said, the disc is very well produced and exceedingly listenable.

Previously published on Splendid

1/1/2005