What It Is to Burn

by

Finch

Edit

Think of all the possible stereotypes that come along with pop-punk, (melodic)hardcore, and emo. Think of all the bands you know that fit these genre/labels. New Found Glory? The Deftones? The Starting Line? Saves The Day? Thursday? Good. *Now forget them all*. I present to you the ultimate cross-genre band, Finch. Hailing from Temecula, California, Finch has a distinct sound that is almost impossible to accurately define.

On their debut LP (produced by the always magical Mark Trombino) Finch serve the public up with something practically unheard of these days: originality. Absolutely insane guitar riffs, piercing vocals, and obviously heartfelt lyrics run a rampage throughout the aptly titled debut, "What It Is To Burn." Unlike Thursday, Finch have discovered the perfect blend of screaming and singing (listen to "Without You Here" and "Untitled").

Here's a quick run-down of the album:

1-New Beginnings - Excellent opening track. Great double-bass pounding with an amazing breakdown

2-Letters To You - Debuted on the EP, "Falling Into Place." One of the "pop-punkier" songs on the album. The production on this transforms it into a completely different song than previously heard on the EP.

3-Post Script - Genius guitar work. The last part of the song will *take your breath away*

4-Grey Matter - Guest vocals by Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw fame. Daryl contributes the perfect amount of vocal insanity to this track.

5-Perfection Through Silence - Yet another from the EP. Excellent guitars (sensing a trend?). Once again, a completely different song with the production.

6-Awake - One of the oldest songs on the album according to Finch frontman, Nate Barcalow. Sounds like nothing else on the album, but has a appeal all it's own.

7-Without You Here - Starts off slow, goes into a gloomy chorus that seems a bit overbearing at times, but breaks into an ASTOUNDING breakdown/bridge. The guitar work and vocals during the last part of the song will make you want to cry.

8-Stay With Me - The only other "pop-punkish" sounding tracks on the record.

9-Project Mayhem - Yet again a contribution by Daryl of Glassjaw. The screams on this track will make you want to do the same...in a good way. With almost a trace/house like feel, this is definitely a different sound than any other track.

10-Untitled - One of the best songs on the album. The build-up before the bridge will have your heart pounding in your ears. "It's sharpening beneath me, beneath my feet. The earth opens up to swallow me. Take my hand and lead me on." The song launches into Nate's screaming vocals at the song's end, leaving you speechless.

11-Three Simple Words - Intense lyrics on this track. "With my hands around your neck, who will stop me now?"

12-Ender - A perfect album closer, with more amazing guitar work. Leads into an acid like sound filler between the end of this song and the bonus track.

13-What It Is To Burn (bonus) - Possibly the best song on the album. Why it's not a single continues to baffle many of Finch's fans. The lyrics are unlike anything I've ever heard, and the chorus throws the listener into a different realm.

In summation, Finch sets the bar for all new acts. Try and label them all you want: punk, melodic hardcore, a Deftones rip-off band. In the end, only one label matters: Truly Amazing.

I love some songs on this album and could do without the rest. I think Finch sounds the best when they play their mid-tempo songs because all the rest sound like they are trying to emulate other bands or strive for a particular sound (for example, punk). For instance, "What It Is To Burn" and "New Beginnings" stand on their own as compositions while "Project Mayhem" sounds exactly like Glassjaw (I know, I know, Daryl sings on this song). There are quite a few gems on this album, namely the first four tracks, the title track, and "Ender", but the rest pale in comparison.

Three stars due to the inconsistency, which, unfortunately, follows the band into their second album. I recommend this album if you want to hear some good songs of the wide-ranging emo genre, but don't expect a masterpiece. This is a young band showing that they are . . . well, young.