I’m gonna sum this up real quick – one, because I have a stack of reviews to do and two, because this doesn’t need to be overly verbose to get the point across. Small Towns Burn A Little Slower are good; real good. While some may classify their chugging guitars and emotive vocals as a cross between the dreaded ‘PH’ and ‘e’ genres that should forever die a death, STBALS (for short) have a certain charm and nous that makes them stand out from the crowd. I’d go as far as saying that this is the best record Triple Crown have released since Brand New‘s double salvo in recent years. It’s an album choc-full of singalong hooks and catchy melodies, without losing any of the crunch you’ve come to expect from bands of this ilk.
There’s passionate vocals, impassioned melodies and plenty of moments of note – certainly too many to namecheck in a short review. I read in another review comparing them to Knapsack, which I thought was quite apt – certainly the band’s dynamics are noteworthy with their ability to switch styles in the swift blink of an eye. With this brand of music dying as quickly as nu-metal, it’s unlikely STBALS will get the kudos they ultimately deserve, but this is a fine record and one I recommend you check out.
Triple Crown
Paul