Change Is a Sound

Strike Anywhere approaches their loud brand of rock in a similar fashion to that of fellow Richmond, VA, residents Avail. With a bit of poppy, melodic punk rock and an ample dose of some tougher hardcore, more often than not the result is a melodic blast of memorable and inspired music. Things are a bit lopsided on the band's first Jade Tree release, but the overwhelming amount of hardcore rumbling makes the underlying catchiness of the songs even more believable. Used to the world of basement shows and hardcore fans, Strike Anywhere has an intense immediacy to all of their music, and singer Thomas Barnett has a scorching voice that's able to shift from intense song to powerful screams in the middle of a lyric. The record could almost be considered watered-down in light of the raging anger prevalent in most hardcore, but the structured songs and challenging changes make the record a powerful document. Like their labelmates, the Explosion, Strike Anywhere takes a style and gives it a slightly new and more approachable edge, steering clear of reinventing a genre, yet still making a more original sound. Change Is a Sound is a fine representation of an ever-evolving and always-updating underground scene, and this band has the potential to steal the hearts of kids who have in the past fallen for groups like Hot Water Music and their similar peers. There really is a lot to like about this record, and though it might be a bit tame compared to some of the other jacked-up hardcore acts out there, it is also noticeably more evolved.