Only Thieves

Greetings From Levy Park, T.L.H.

Written by: PP on 08/06/2009 17:02:39

Take a close look at the title and the artwork of this record and think about what it reminds you of. That's right, Bruce Springsteen's "Greetings From Asburey Park, N.J.". According to the band's promotional sheet it's meant as a tribute, but really I fail to see the reasoning behind that considering Only Thieves sound nothing like The Gaslight Anth...Bruce Springsteen. If I were to compare these guys to someone, it'd be Bear Vs Shark, as is the norm when dealing with relaxed, fuzzy, distortion filled post-hardcore bands that have an underlying passion audible in their music. Anyway, "Greetings From Levy Park, T.L.H" is the band's self-released debut album.

Genres that apply to this record are indie, post-hardcore, and punk rock, all sharing an equal percentage of the sound so you cannot really lump the band into a specific genre. Think of bands like Cursive, Shark Speed, and even Tribute To Nothing if the Bear Vs Shark reference didn't say anything to you (why not?). All this means guitars that sound warm, relaxed, angular, and fuzzy at the same time, creating a distortion-filled mess that somehow still sounds friendly and easily likable. Throw in a vocalist on top who sounds relaxed and passionate at the same time--you know the drill, the typically scratchy clean voice that so many punk inspired post-hardcore bands use--and you've got yourself a decent band.

But that's all they really are: decent. While the best song "Watertower Scars" is catchy, it differs little from the rest of the album and evokes almost no emotion in the listener, which is strange considering how bands of this type usually manage the exact opposite. Even though there are just five tracks on the album and it lasts for under 15 minutes, I'm feeling bored by the fourth track, and the reason for that is because there are just so many bands who do this type of sound so much better. Only Thieves aren't bad, granted, but they're likely to be one of those bands that just pass you by quickly while you're searching for the next Bear Vs Shark.

Download: Watertower Scars
For the fans of: Bear Vs Shark, Cursive, Shark Speed, Tribute To Nothing
Listen: Myspace

Release date 05.05.2009
Self-Released

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