Commerce

It would be fair to say that Commerce have heard Death Cab For Cutie before. There's absolutely no denying that the latter have played a part in shaping the sound of the former, and that does lessen the appeal of the band's second album, The Things I Say vs. The Things I Mean, at least initially. It also doesn't help that it takes quite a few songs before things fall into place. The record starts off like so many other emo bands', with its angsty blend of guitars, heart-on-sleeve lyrics and slow-building songs. But soon enough, they begin to develop their own personality, especially when they introduce droning keyboards into the mix with "Missing Parts." Even when they're recycling ideas, there's something very likeable about Commerce and The Things I Say vs. The Things I Mean ends much stronger than it begins.