Transit
Young New England
Rise Records (2013)
Score: 7.5/10
Transit has always been a band to expand their sound and broaden their horizons. Each record has progressively distanced them from being a “normal” pop-punk band. 2011’s Listen & Forgive was smoother and more mature than 2010’s Keep This To Yourself, and the newest installment in the young band’s discography continues that trend. Young New England is softer, intensely pop-driven, and just flat out different. Certainly, many people won’t adjust to this sound from Transit. But regardless of what you think of the change, I’d say it’s about as ambitious an album as I’ve heard all year, shifting gears on us once again while still maintaining many of the pillars that make Transit great.
There are a lot of genres at work here. From each song to the next, you hear influences ranging from pop to punk to radio rock. “Nothing Lasts Forever” sets the tone with its quick, poppy pace and different use of guitars for the band. They’ve essentially replaced straightforward chords with more singular notes, making the songs far less aggressive and more melodic. “Second To Right,” is one of the best songs on this record for that very reason. The lyrics are still sharp as ever, the pulsing drums don’t hurt and the catchy “Oh no, no, no” parts will be stuck in your head long after the song is over.
A well-written tribute to the town you love, the title track is the first of its kind for Transit, playing like a folk song to be sang in unified heartache. The catchy “Sleep” switches gears, sounding like something The Killers or Tokyo Police Club would write. First single, “Weathered Souls” is a throwback to the style seen on Listen & Forgive and I couldn’t be happier about it. Everything works on this track, from the riffs, to the crashing drums and full-speed chorus. Not to mention sweet guitar and vocal work during the bridge, giving it an intense, eerie vibe.
Mellow and simple, “Don’t Go, Don’t Stray” and “Hazy” are standouts for me, but Transit saved the best for last with “Bright Lights, Dark Shadows.” It’s a quick, captivating song with the best hook on the album, “Can you mask the pain if you don’t believe in it?/Set the stage when you know who you side with/Nobody likes a liar.”
The catchy melodies and biting lyrics the band is known for are all intact on Young New England, but the music has been toned down and smoothed out into pop-rock or indie pop-punk. Some tracks are going to get steady play in my household, but I’d absolutely be lying if I said I didn’t miss the Keep This To Yourself/Promise Nothing days. I’m interested to see where Transit will go from here, especially considering the negative response Young New England has received from many critics, but the band seems defiant about the reaction and I think it’s safe to say that they will continue to surprise us.
– Felipe Garcia
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