Matchbook Romance

Moody and ambitious are not two words I would characteristically use to describe a punk band on Epitaph Records, however Matchbook Romance are proving me wrong. Maturing into their own, upstate New York’s favourites suddenly sound a whole lot more like British prog rockers Muse than they do their emo/punk counterparts in the Warped Tour scene. Paranoid and fervent, Voices is a good listen from start to finish thanks in part to the creative production of John Goodmanson (Blonde Redhead, the Blood Brothers). Guitars sound bigger, vocal hooks take risks instead of treading within pop punk boundaries, strings outline the songs perfectly. Besides the music being top-notch, the CD artwork is amazing and a great footnote to the album.