Boy Sets Fire

The Misery Index: Notes From The Plague Years

Boy Sets Fire have been forced to sit on The Misery Index: Notes From The Plague Years for more than a year, thanks to their (now former) label sitting on it, reportedly because they “didn’t hear a single.” Apparently, the label didn’t actually listen to these emocore vets’ fourth album, as melodic, radio-rock tracks like “(10) And Counting” and “Empire” could be absolute smashes. And while BSF are eons away from their earlier, rawer sound here, you’ll be hard-pressed to find more aggressive and passionate songs this year than “Final Communique” and “So Long… Thanks For The Crutches” (the latter containing a bizarrely fitting horn section). The disc’s only downfalls are the dragging ballad “With Cold Eyes” and the nü-metally title track. It could’ve been worse, though: It could’ve been Creed.

Equal Vision http://www.equalvision.com