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A Static Lullaby

With the release of their debut EP ‘Withered’ and their debut full length release ‘…And Don’t Forget to Breathe’, Californian based post-hardcore outfit A Static Lullaby seemed to be well on their way to bigger things. But for all the promises their past hinted at, the band’s rather experimental sophomore album ‘Faso Latido’ (released in 2005 for Columbia Records) failed to exceed the expectations expected of the band, which inevitably led to a parting of way with the label. Adding insult to injury was the departure of guitarist Nate Lindeman, bassist/vocalist Phil Pirrone (both who parted on less than amicable terms, and who later formed Casket Salesmen) and drummer Brett Dinovo (who returned to school). Undeterred by the run of bad luck over the last twelve months, vocalist Joe Brown and vocalist/guitarist Dan Arnold went back to the drawing board and assembled a new line up (guitarist/vocalist John Martinez, bassist/vocalist Dane Poppin and drummer Jarrod Alexander (who is also a member of Death By Stereo) were recruited), with the hopes of starting anew on Fearless Records with their third full length album. There’s plenty of determination, aggression and melody in the opening number ‘Hang ‘Em High’ to get the blood pumping, but as good as the song is, it’s hardly ground breaking or unique sounding. The dramatic and slower paced ‘Contagious’ is definitely an improvement, with the dual vocal approach offsetting the heavy guitars and pounding drums, while ‘Annexation Of Puerto Rico’ is a downright killer, and everything the album’s opening cut should have been. From here, the imbalance of strong songs to weaker ones seems to reflect the impression the opening three tracks leave behind, with ‘The Art Of Sharing Lovers’, ‘Trigger Happy Tarantula’, ‘Life In A Museum’, ‘Mechanical Heart’ and hook driven (Bonus track) ‘Let Go’ easily standing head and shoulders over the less than memorable remainder of album. While A Static Lullaby has crafted a solid album with plenty of variety, the album isn’t the wholehearted return to form many would undoubtedly be hoping for after the disappointing ‘Faso Latido’. Perhaps with a little more time, the new members of A Static Lullaby will gel (in the songwriting sense) with the original members, and we’ll finally get something that will make them stand out amongst the masses.