ArmsBendBack

ArmsBendBack

[3.5/5]



ArmsBendBack’s self-titled sophomore LP would be deemed impressive if only for the killer opener, “Where’s My Bourbon?” Ah, but one brilliant track does not an album make. Luckily, there are plenty of other worthy songs that add to ArmsBendBack’s appeal, most notably “It’s Nothing New,” the inspirational “We Can Change It” and “The Queen Is Dead.” Even though this album teems with crushing emotionality, sweeping instrumentation and strong clean vocals paired occasionally with impassioned screams (as did its predecessor, 2003’s The Waiting Room), everything seems more enjoyable, mature, better-constructed and diverse. Alongside the standard melodic, hard-edged rock of “Future Whores Of America” is the quicker, more punked-up “Hyper Real,” the super-aggressive “Where’s My Bourbon?” (gotta love the insane multi-layered vocals and that one particular shout, “Where the fuck is my bourbon?!”) and a pair of alarmingly tender, sparse, ethereal compositions, “Solaris” and “Megan Fox,” the latter marred only by the unfortunate choice of titles. We’ll just hope it’s a joke. (TRUSTKILL) Janelle Jones



GO DOWNLOAD: “Where’s My Bourbon?”