Means is a new name on me – another band kicking up a bit of a storm in the USA and Canada, but as yet anonymous in Europe. They are an Underground Operations / Facedown records band, all facial hair and hoodies up, keeping that emo/hardcore crossover going a bit longer. This is their 2nd album, and definitely sounds like a band tighter than a duck’s arse.
This band basically spend the album mixing aggression with mincing-ness. One minute intense hardcore, the next acoustic-led emo, they are kind of stuck between the two genres. I’m not one to let names of genres get in the way of what I appreciate, but it feels a bit like they don’t quite know which way they want to go. The result is a 10 song album that isn’t quite as jagged as it should be. The quiet moments have their place, but to me it seems like Means don’t quite hit the spot. They are much better at playing with intensity than going all-out to prove they have an affectionate side.
I expect we shall all hear a bit soon about Means. I’m just not so sure they deserve it. It’s trendy mediocrity I reckon.
Mike