Diffuser

Sincerely, Wasting Away

[3/5]

Diffuser’s career parallels so many other pop-punk bands who spend years being liked but never quite loved. After a bit of a break, the New York-based group, once billed by some as the next sensation in the burgeoning emo/pop-punk genre, now sound remarkably dated. Many would argue that the band’s 2001 offering Injury Loves Melody is one of the unsung masterpieces of new-school emo; alternately, Sincerely, Wasting Away provides a half-hour of music well suited for those who feel 2001 to 2003 were the best years for Warped Tour, but nothing new otherwise. Unfortunately, hearing a once-promising band now sound like an anonymous member of an ever-growing crowd makes this a bit of a bittersweet experience. The album is well recorded and relentlessly catchy, but the power and innovation of Diffuser’s earlier work are frustratingly absent. (CHAMBERLAIN) Kevin Wade