Grown Ups

Grown Ups' debut full-length, More Songs, is one of the most exciting and inventive releases of 2010. With a startling blend of Kinsella-inspired guitar work and a rhythm section rooted in melodic hardcore, this Indiana/Illinois four-piece have released a cohesive and inspiring ten-song collection. The mixture of raspy Lifetime vocals, ballsy bass lines and angular guitar work is incredibly effective on More Songs. Songwriting that could have easily been given a loud, thrashy treatment is instead extremely listenable thanks to clean, warm, intermingling guitar parts. Doyle Martin and Adam Sheets are capable and creative guitarists, and their tasteful interplay anchors the record. The juxtaposition of introspective lyrics and lush guitarscapes with hardcore rhythms and diverse structures makes it tough to say what's more appropriate: a mosh pit or a cuddle party? If you like Castavet or Algernon Cadwallader, or have any reverence for seminal punk mainstays Lifetime and Cap'n Jazz, do not sleep on Grown Ups. This is an early contender for best release of 2010.