Falcon

What works as a one-off project doesn’t always succeed when taking the distance, as appears to be the case with this debut full-length from punk amalgamate the Falcon. After an exciting EP, released right at the end of 2004, this disc lacks the pure, unadulterated excitement of that initial batch of songs. Featuring Brendan Kelly and Neil Hennessy of the Lawrence Arms and Dan Andriano of the Alkaline Trio (Rise Against’s Todd Mohney, who played on the EP, was unable to participate this time around), the band sound a lot like the Lawrence Arms, as Kelly, who co-writes all of LA’s material, wrote all the songs here. Especially when compared to Oh! Calcutta!, this year’s stellar effort from Kelly and Hennessy’s full-time band, Unicornography is just not as interesting or vital sounding. Still, fans of the Lawrence Arms will find plenty to enjoy here, as there is no denying the strength of Kelly’s writing, even when he’s not at his best.