Away From Here

With a voice betraying his young age, Away From Here’s Mike Froh leads this Weyburn, Saskatchewan five-piece through ten tracks of breakdown-heavy screamo on this, the band’s debut. A remarkable effort for a group entirely under the age of 19, Anatomy of a Broken Heart borrows heavily from bands like Finch and Thrice without sounding redundant. The band’s impressive musicianship shines through on songs like the ripping "Trigger Moment,” whose guitar harmonics build to a stellar climax following the final chorus. Effectively juxtaposing the quieter, more melodic side of the band with more aggressive and scream-heavy moments, Away From Here manage to avoid stagnating, instead continuing to draw the listener in with well-constructed dynamics and song structures. While at times sounding a little too reminiscent of other bands of the genre, Anatomy of a Broken Heart remains quite an achievement, and a sure sign of excellent work to come.