September 2008 Archive |
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Bayside
Shudder
Campus Correspondent Review By Billy Sparks
College of DuPage
On its fourth full-length project, Bayside continues to crank out the alternative rock anthems, but seems more cohesive than ever before. It’s truly a testament to the band’s balls to the wall work ethic, which finds the troupe on tour almost every day of the year, continuously growing tighter as a quartet and finding inspiration for upcoming tracks in the people they meet along the way. Despite having the shortest amount of time to complete an album across its tenure thus far, Shudder explodes with urgency from the melodic power pop of “Boy” to the sinister drive of “The Ghost of St. Valentine” and the empowering “A Call To Arms.”
Though influences like the Smoking Popes are apparent throughout “I Think I’ll Be OK,” as are shades of producer Dave Schiffman (Weezer, Jimmy Eat World) across “I Can’t Go On,” Bayside continues to carve out its own identity. Not only do these twelve tunes find front man Anthony Raneri at a confident vocal peak, but the scalding rhythm section is amongst the most impressive in the entire Victory Records lineage. Bayside may not be a household name just yet, but as those who’ve been following the foursome on the underground can attest, this is a band worth discovering on the ascent to earn the bragging rights of being a step ahead of masses.
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