Heave Media

Misplaced Hope

The Matches' third offering isn't much better than their second.

The Matches

A Band in Hope

Released on Nov 30, -0001

California rock band, The Matches, formed back in 1997, when they were originally called The Locals. As their fan base grew, they drew the attention of Yvonne Doll, front-woman of a Chicago indie rock group that was also called The Locals. She asked that they change their name, so they decided to go with The Matches and subsequently named their debut album E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals, as one final shot to the woman who made them change their name. The album was self-released, and then re-released by Epitaph records when the band signed.

The Matches' third album, A Band in Hope, leaked online on February 11th, more than one full month before its scheduled release date of March 18th. In response to the leak, the band did something that most bands don't often do. They told their fans how to pay for the album if they happened to get it before the official release date. The proposed payment was to go out and do a good deed for someone who is a complete stranger. They also suggested that if their fans had the money, they should actually buy a copy of the album when it hit stores. As a whole, the record drifts between hopefulness and despair, with both working relatively acceptably.

The album kicks off with "AM Tilts" - a track that sets the hook early on and doesn't really let go. It's a great example of what The Matches do well. Singer Shawn Harris' vocals are complemented very well by the music - even when the structure of the song seems to be repetitive. Other songs don't work so well, however. The first single on the album, "Wake the Sun," is a light-hearted tune that will have you tapping your foot along with the beat, but after a listen or two, it starts to become somewhat tedious. Upon the second and third times through the album, I found myself skipping over the lead track because of its annoying pacing.

This is an album that may not have you hooked right away, but after three or four listens, it'll start to grow on you. The problem is that many people won't listen to it a second, third, or fourth time just to see if it grows on them. Yes, there are some pretty good songs here that'll get some play on your mp3 player, but for the most part the songs are just average. It probably would have been too much to ask for an outstanding album after the lukewarm offering of Decomposer, but The Matches could have done a little better with their third release.

High Point: After a couple listens, "AM Tilts" will just pop into your head at random times.

Low Point: Overall, it takes far too long for the album to grow on you if it even does at all.

Quick Point: They're on tour now and are an exceptionally entertaining live act. If you have the slightest interest in their music, check out their live show.

Posted by Cory Roop on Mar 27, 2008 @ 12:00 am