Bayside - The Walking Wounded

LABEL:

Victory

GENRE:

Emo/Punk

RELEASE:

February 6, 2007

LENGTH:

46 min 12 sec

RATING:

Finding a good band on Victory Records is like looking for an atheist at the Republican National Convention. There are just a few such bands that bear much of this weight and keep the record label from being completely swallowed by mediocrity and corporatism. That being said, when one of said bands releases a new album, even the optimists among us cringe. Fortunately, Bayside has somehow managed to stay above the ocean of metalcore and create something actually worth listening to. The former Alkaline Trio sound-alikes have slowly crafted their own sound and on every album and written fewer songs about girls and misery, which is always a good sign.

The Walking Wounded picks up exactly where their self-titled effort left-off, and furthers their trend of sounding slightly more optimistic ("Landing Feet First") and less self-deprecating ("I and I"). Of course, traces of the past still linger on tracks like "They're Not Horses, They're Unicorns" and "Choice Hops And Bottled Self Esteem." The familiar mix of cliché and thought-provoking lyrics is still there, but with considerably more emphasis on the latter. One of the most outstanding tracks is the very last one, "(Pop)ular Science," referring to the sad state of the music industry and, for all practical purposes, labels like the one Bayside calls home.

In the end, you have to give them credit for managing to produce a solid record, despite making only minor stylistic changes from their previous release. Clearly, the band is looking for consistency and quality, as opposed to striving for something fresh and shiny. While you won't find anything groundbreaking about The Walking Wounded and it won't change anyone's opinion of the band, their continuing ability to stay under the radar is impressive and in most ways, this album is better than the last. The question is, can they continue to make good music with their somewhat limited formula, or if they decide to follow a new path, can they do so without succumbing to the "Victory syndrome?" To be cliché as hell, only time will tell.