The American Scene

Haze

A saucy, triggered dance beat begins Haze, the third full-length from the Bay Area’s the American Scene. More guests will crash the party, with TAS’s alt-emo rock roots now bearing the glossy bark of pop song structures. While the lyrics may be entry level, the emotionally deep delivery creates an opposites-attract scenario for the choruses, like the infectious “Nails Of Love”: “She doesn’t want to be in love/Doesn’t think it’s any fun/All her friends are getting high on the weekends.” The contrasts continue on “4th And Broadway,” covering the mournful content (“I’ve been waiting 26 years/For someone to tell me/That I’m not really gonna die/This time”) with happy hi-hat fills and upbeat, indie-inspired guitars, one clamoring, another chirping. Their vision is 20/20; “Dark Creak,” a half-time brood-fest, wraps around the listener like arms on a drunken first date, then closes with another cool-down, “Brume.”

Pure Noise http://www.purenoise.net

“Nails Of Love”