At last, there is an album that isn’t new wave or pop punk, but stripped down rock. Only artists and bands with much more experience can deliver music with such consistency. The Standard shows how much they have grown to be able to perform with a clear focus on what they want to say and how they want to say it.
“Unicorns and Chemicals” is very down to heart with the right touches of sweet vocals, undemanding piano keys and rich moments of silence. Post Wire To Wire might just very well be that rare album that does almost everything right, and is just good. Every instrument compliments each other. “Even Numbers” mixes the piano and drums just right to create the most seductive hymn.
“Ghosts for Hire” bumps it up a notch to include a faster tempo and streamlined beats. Too bad there aren’t more songs like “Ghosts for Hire” because much of the album is heavyhearted. It isn’t bad thing because listening to the entire album makes me speechless. What The Standard proves with Post Wire To Wire is that the band is good. It is consistent, but what I want is for the band to be varied. I want electric guitars and drumbeats that will make me deaf. With the opening track “Metropolitan” and “Ghosts for Hire” I know the band is capable of it, I just want more of it. Or maybe I just want more of The Standard.
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Track list:
- Metropolitan
- Even Numbers
- Ghosts For Hire
- Runway Week
- Folk Song
- Unicorns And Chemicals
- Monks In New Jersey
- A Black Machine
- Jumprope In Hell
NOTE: Article originally posted on Blogcritics.