If you’re a bit sick of these poppy emo-rock lite bands, then The Transit War may well be the act for you. Imagine Spitalfield crossed with Alkaline Trio and you won’t be too far off what TTW are trying to do. There’s certainly a darker edge to this band and that’s reflected both in the tone of the guitars and the lyrical content. ‘Lupus’, for instance, sounds like Matt Skiba singing for a brand new band such is the similarities in vocal delivery. ‘Miss Your Face’ is more than just a re-hash of two popular bands mind. It’s a clever record that will hook you in and entertain over the course of its 11 songs.
But – and you knew it was coming – it just lacks a certain something that maybe some of the band’s peers have. ‘Miss Your Face’ does have its standout moments – ‘Radar’ and ‘Sheep In Your Head’ are very good tracks – but overall there’s a slight sense that this album is neither rockin’ enough or does it have the huge hooks to reel you in for repeated listens. The aforementioned tracks do have that extra something, but songs like ‘Lupus’ tend to plod along a little bit without getting too far. And that, sadly, lets The Transit War down a little bit. While their outlook on a generic sound is relatively fresh, the execution doesn’t always hit all the right notes.