Album Review: Transit- Young New England

Sometimes, an album just takes you by surprise. Whether it was a sonic shift you weren't ready for, a sudden maturation process, or just a significant tightening of the screws, an album that truly resonates with people when it comes from an unexpected place. One of the most peculiar casses of this has molded into the career of Transit, a band who have built a strong reputation for exceeding expectations. Many were introduced to the band on the EP Stay Home, which showed great pop-punk potential. That potential was realized and expanded upon on the band's No Sleep Records debut Keep This to Yourself, an album that created buzz that the band was going to stand alongside The Wonder Years during this "rebirth" of pop-punk we've been experiencing in the last few years. And that's when the band proved that they had the transcend the genre altogether, releasing the instant-classic Listen and Forgive. With such a surprising, yet expertly executed shift towards old-school emo, all bets were off and expectations were even higher for the band's follow-up. The result of these expectations is Young New England and like the rest of Transit's material, isn't exactly what you'd expect.

The album begins with Joe Boynton's croon, as he somberly introduces the chorus of  "Nothing Lasts Forever." After that somber start, the guitar tandem of Tim Landers and Torre Cioffi takes the song over, providing a fast-paced riff that powers the track. Landers and Cioffi are the stars of the album, as the entirety of Young New England finds the two experimenting with different sounds, from twinkly emo tones ("Hazy," "Thanks for Nothing") to songs with a decided 90s influence about them ("Second to Right"), and quirky indie experiments ("Weathered Souls"). Though the experimenting was a bit of a risk, as the two developed a winning formula that didn't need to be messed with on Listen and Forgive, the two prove their talents with moments that soar. The rest of the band seems to take after the experimental nature  of its guitarists, which is where the album gets a little muddy.

For the first time in the band's career, there are tracks on this album that are unforgivable; songs that simply should not belong in the same catalog as songs like "Skipping Stone," "Stays the Same," or "Footwork." The album's title track sounds like a throwaway track from Dropkick Murphy's, which you'll likely deduce doesn't work for a band like Transit. The song begins with the lazily sung chorus, "If you're too drunk to walk along/the streets of cobblestone,/You know Boston never drinks alone." Aside from the fact that I have literally no idea what that means, the chorus bogs down the album before it even has time to build into anything. This theme recreates itself throughout the album, as "Hang It Up" just doesn't have the same magic a track like "Asleep at the Wheel" or "Hope This Finds You Well" had. There are opportunities where the band could have created some very, very special moments, but the ideas just don't seem hashed out all the way. There is a looser, unhinged feel to the album, which the band are talented enough to make work, but for whatever reason, falls short at times.

That's not to say there aren't some good songs on Young New England. "Nothing Lasts Forever," "Weathered Souls," and "Thanks for Nothing" pick up right where the band left off with the re-imaginations of "Skipping Stone" and "I Never Told that to Anyone" on the reissue of Listen and Forgive, while "Summer, ME" and "So Long, So Long" show the band trying for a matured, alternative-rock sound. There is a lot of experimentation on the album, as stated earlier, which can be interpreted in a few different ways. Some will argue that Young New England finds Transit trying to fix what was never broken, while others will see it as an ambitious step outside the box and a new perspective. The answer lies somewhere in the middle, of course, and where that is exactly is up to the listener to decide.

It's never an easy thing to handle when a band releases an album that you didn't see coming, or you may not have liked as much as their last, or just wasn't up to snuff. In today's music industry, it's a little surprising it doesn't happen more often. But that seems to be where Young New England is headed. While the album contains that same talent and potential Transit have shown in the past, the potential isn't realized as often this time around, as a loose experimentation often comes off feeling lazily put together, and not given the proper care or completion. What will be most interesting is what happens next for the band. After all, The Gaslight Anthem endured mixed reviews on American Slang to put out Handwritten. But if there's anything we can learn from Young New England, for now, it's that Transit are beginning to establish themselves as a band that will always keep its listeners guessing, which isn't always a good thing.

The Bottom Line: Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the most polarizing record of 2013.
Alongside Transit's other material, Young New England won't be up to snuff for most fans of the band. But if you are able to take the album out of the context of Transit's career, you'll find a new perspective from a band who still have loads of talent, potential, and creativity.

Recommended if you rock: The Gaslight Anthem's American Slang, Taking Back Sunday's New Again, Funeral for a Friend's Tales Don't Tell Themselves

Settle the Score: Suburbia vs. Listen and Forgive

Mankind has always been prone to comparison, and that rings true in nearly every aspect of life, especially music. Case in point: last year, despite loving the same songs, albums, and artists, the two hosts of Keep Calm and Carry On still had a different album of the year. When discussing how this was possible, we began to feverishly debate which album was best: Craig argued on behalf of The Wonder Years's landmark effort Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing, while Donald remained stalwart in his support for Transit's breakthrough Rise Records debut Listen and Forgive. When the discussion seemed at a stalemate, an idea was hatched: what if we rated every song on each album on a scale of 1-5, and averaged out all the songs on the album to find the album's "score"? That's exactly what we've done here. Below, you'll find the scores of each song on their respective albums, and an argument on each album's behalf. As you'd likely expect, Craig will be presenting his case for Suburbia while Donald will try to convince you about the triumphs of Listen and Forgive. Now that we're all caught up, let's Settle the Score:

What was truly the Album of the Year in 2011: The Wonder Years's Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing or Transit's Listen and Forgive?

The Wonder Years- Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing

Came Out Swinging (5 out of 5): There is not a more fitting song title for how this album begins than "Came Out Swinging." The song culminates in the best bridge of last year, with Dan Campbell belting "I came out swinging from a South Philly basement caked in stale beer and sweat, under half lit flourescents. And I spent the winter writing songs about getting better, well if I'm being honest, I'm getting there."

Woke Up Older (4.5/5): Oh, why can't we start old and grow younger (to reference the #3 album on our list last year). This anthem about how quick time goes by and how fast things can change is one of the Suburbia's highlights. Also, extra props were added for the terrific Mountain Goats reference in the bridge.

Local Man Ruins Everything (4/5): "It's not about forcing happiness, it's about not letting sadness win". Those two lines basically sum up everything this song is about. The first song released from Suburbia prior to the album's release and it was a well-deserved honor.

Suburbia (3/5): This album is unique in that it actually has three "title tracks" in that 3 of the album's songs when combined together make up the album's title. The first of these tracks is a 51 second interlude paced by a somber keyboard and heavy crash cymbals from Mike Kennedy. But it doesn't earn more than 3 stars, because it never really becomes fleshed out.

My Life As A Pigeon (3/5): Despite having some of Mike Kennedy's best drum fills on the entire album (seriously, he's an absolute beast on this song), the song's weaker chorus and cluttered sounding bridge hurt what could have been an album standout.

Summers in PA (2/5): Most albums, even albums of this caliber, have at least one song that could have just been left in the demo stage instead of being placed on the final cut of the album. Summers in PA is that song for Suburbia. Not even a solid guest vocal performance from the two headed beast of Dan O'Connor and Alan Day from four Year Strong could save this song.

I Won't Say The Lord's Prayer (4/5): Controversial at the time of it's release, "I Won't Say" was construed by some to have sacrilegious lyrical content. But vocalist Dan Campbell has defended the song, saying it's about people who blindly follow religion instead of making informed decisions. Either way the song is biting, and Campbell's vocal performance is top notch.

Coffee Eyes (4/5): As someone who has spent many a summer night in a cramped diner booth, I can say this song is one of my personal favorites off this album.

I've Given You All (3/5): The second of the title tracks is an acoustic track which features Campbell telling the sobering story of a man who was murdered in the band's hometown. The song places the setting remarkably well, but it feels like an interlude again, instead of a full song, and for that it loses points.

Don't Let Me Cave In (4.5/5): The second single from Suburbia and Campbell's best vocal performance on the whole album. When he sings the line "you drove me all the way up, cause you could tell that I was a mess," you can hear the anxiety and tension in his voice. Guitarist Matt Brasch also has a standout role in the bridge, getting to take over lead vocals briefly.

You Made Me Want To Be A Saint (3.5/5): This heartbreaking tribute to the band's friend Mikey Pelone, who died between the release of the band's second album The Upsides and the release of Suburbia, is a fast, short burst of emotion.

Hoodie Weather (4.5/5): "Growing up means, watching my heroes turn human in front of me." That line alone is enough to earn the penultimate track on this album a 4.5 star rating.

And Now I'm Nothing (5/5): Bookending the album with the only two 5 star tracks is actually a tremendously successful decision, as it keeps listeners from skipping out on the back half of the album. The last of the title tracks is easily the best, bringing the album to a climax and pulling it full circle at the same time. The minute and a half outro tacked onto the end of this song closes out this album with such a perfect grace.

Key Lyrics: "I’m not a self-help book; I’m just a f***** up kid."; "I came out swinging from a South Philly basement, Caked in stale beer and sweat under half-lit fluorescents."; "Growing up means watching my heroes turn human in front of me."
FINAL SCORE: 3.92

Transit- Listen and Forgive

You Can't Miss It (It's Everywhere): The opening track of Listen and Forgive builds slowly, but by the time Joe Boynton croons "I'm nothing special, really.  I'm just a kid who tried too hard," you can tell this is an album that's going to pluck your heart strings early and often. 3.5 out of 5

Long Lost Friends: Hands down, the best chorus of Transit's career. Though the song is slower than most of the songs you'll find on Keep This to Yourself or Stay Home, "Long Lost Friends" is Transit's assertion that no one does it better than them right now. 5/5

Listen and Forgive: If title tracks are truly indicative of what you can expect from an album, "Listen and Forgive" tells you to expect near-perfection from Transit. Calling back to summers past with melancholy, the track soars from the very beginning, perfectly building on the momentum created from "Long Lost Friends". 4.5/5

All Your Heart: Though the song features Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy, "All Your Heart" is one of the weaker tracks on the album, and though it's great to hear Patrick Stump's voice again, it really makes me miss Fall Out Boy. Can a brother get a reunion, or what? 3/5

Asleep at the Wheel: The perfect compliment to "Listen and Forgive" in terms of nostalgia, "Asleep at the Wheel" features some of the best vocal melodies on the album. The song also features the best work from bassist PJ Jefferson, who powers the track. 4/5

Cutting Corners: The chronicle of an awkward drunken exchange, "Cutting Corners" shows Transit setting up the perfect instrumentals for Joe Boynton's storytelling, sweeping in and out in a whirl of emotion, much like Boyton's former lover who's "just about ten drinks in." 4/5

Skipping Stone: A song so good Transit recorded two versions of it (the acoustic version is on the first release of Listen and Forgive, while the full-band version was released on the reissue), "Skipping Stone" has a serious claim as the band's definitve track. One listen to Tim Landers's vocals on the bridge, and the chills running up and down your spine will leave you no choice but to agree. 5/5

I Think I Know You: With the impossible task of following up "Skipping Stone," "I Think I Know You" picks up the pace slightly, and Boynton's storytelling focuses on a couple who aren't exactly on the same page in one of the most straightforward tracks on Listen and Forgive. 3/5

Don't Make a Sound: Probably the weakest song on the album, but when an album's low-light is still this strong, you don't have anything to worry about. 3/5

1978: First heard by fans on the acoustic EP Something Left Behind, "1978" benefits greatly from getting the full-studio treatment. Given the TLC of Transit's ever-expanding musicianship, the track goes from acoustic EP Easter Egg to one of the band's strongest tracks. 4/5

Over Your Head: The slowest song on the album that isn't called "Skipping Stone" also makes its claim for the most emotional track on the album. Joe Boynton writes break-up songs so well and so uniquely, and "Over Your Head" is a powerhouse. 4/5

The Answer Comes In Time: Surprise, surprise: another great track. If you don't feel anything when the entire band sings "I don't want anything from anyone anymore" in the outro, you need to learn how to feel. 4/5
(Writer's note: because it was considered an unfair advantage, the tracks featured on the Listen and Forgive reissue were not included in the scores.)

Key Lyrics: "And we grow into those sadder songs, and leave our love behind in every single line. Maybe that's the only place it can really live. But you would never understand (you don't care, you don't care). No, you would never understand (you don't care, you don't care)."; "I miss when you and I were us, and every day, every day was ours. Lost in an ocean of passing days and cars, you stood out like every accident does."; "Lately, you've been looking at me like you've seen a ghost. And isn't it obvious who's been missing who the most? I just wish that you had called, 'cause I would have said it all. In my dreams, you run back to me like long lost friends."

FINAL SCORE: 3.91

The Verdict:

Donald's take: With the albums being separated by one hundredth of a point, I'm lead to believe one thing: both albums are really, really good. What the battle between Suburbia and Listen and Forgive comes down to is which one you have a particular bias towards. Both albums are huge leaps forward for the bands that wrote them, and though you may like one more, you have to respect and acknowledge how good the other is. We were spoiled to have two albums this incredible in the same year. I still think Listen and Forgive is the better album, but there's no denying what a landmark effort Suburbia was. Here's hoping we get 10 more albums this good from Transit and The Wonder Years.

Warped Tour 2012, through Donald's eyes

Warped Tour has taken its lumps over the last five years. Hopping on the newest scene hype trains across the country, the tour seemed to have lost its luster in the scene. Nevertheless, it's still the cheapest way to see almost every one of your favorite bands in the summer, and the experience of being around so many people who have (somewhat) similar tastes in music as you is worth the price of admission alone. So here I am, at 21 years old, writing to tell you that for the fourth straight year, and fifth year out of the last six, I made the trek to wherever Warped was being held in the great state of New Jersey (this year, it was at PNC Bank Arts Center).

This year, however, there was a bit of a different experience for me at Warped Tour. Sure, I packed my bag for the day like I always do, but it was what was in that bag that was different. I caught as many sets as I could, but missed a few. But it wasn't due to the schedule of when the bands played, it was the busy schedule I had to keep up with. The schedule that has produced the three videos you'll see below, and one of the most important things to happen to this show. They are interviews with Yellowcard, The Used, and Of Mice and Men, but they carry more weight than that. They carry a certain sense of accomplishment, for me at least. But it isn't the fact that I was able to go to the box office and get a press wristband. The true joy of this was to be able to post these for all of you to listen to.

I can tell you all about every band I saw. I can say things like Bayside continues to be the best-sounding live band out there, or that Transit's emotional blend of pop-punk and emo sounds as good on an acoustic set as it does during their energetic full-band sets. I can tell you that the crowds surrounding the Main Stage for Of Mice & Men, New Found Glory, and Yellowcard need to be seen in order for you to believe it. I can tell you that Fireworks played like a band who's bound to be the next big band with a cult-like following. I can tell you that Buddy Neilson of Senses Fail is reason enough to see the band in concert, or that Matty Arsenault of A Loss for Words is poised to be the scene's next great frontman. Whoops, I guess I just said all of that. So, there you go. Now you know what Warped was like for me outside of the Press Room. Now, let's get to the good stuff. My interviews with Jeph and Dan from The Used,  Ryan Key of Yellowcard, and Austin and Tino from Of Mice & Men can be listened to below.

The Used:

Yellowcard:

Of Mice & Men:

A big thank you to Jeph and Dan of The Used, Ryan of Yellowcard, and Austin and Tino of Of Mice & Men for taking the time out of their schedules for the interviews. And to those who are reading, I hope you enjoyed them. If you have the opportunity to head to Warped Tour this year, do it. There's no better concert experience this summer, or any other time of the year. 

Song of the Week, 6/13: Transit- "Skipping Stone (Alternate Version)"

What is it?: When Transit released Listen and Forgive, their Rise Records debut, there was almost too much to like about it. But one of the standout tracks was the lone acoustic song, "Skipping Stone." Heart-wrenching and nostalgic, the song was revered by fans, but this admiration of the song came with a price: being that it was an acoustic song, there was no room for it in Transit's customary energetic live shows. Things took an interesting turn, however, when Polar Bear Club covered the song for the Glamour Kills Tour 2012 Compilation, and decided to to the track full-band (stream that here). What's more, to the surprise of most anyone interested in the band, Transit began playing their own full-band version of "Skipping Stone" on dates of the Glamour Kills Tour as well. Whether or not PBC's near-perfect cover sparked it or not, it was a welcome addition to the band's set, and from this writer's firsthand account, it was one of the best songs the band played all tour.

Why is it Song of the Week?: As if seeing the band tweak the song and play it live wasn't already awesome, the band entered the studio during some down time and recorded a full-band version of the song, which will be featured on the band's upcoming Skipping Stone 7", which will be available soon on Rise Records. While you can spend countless moments dissecting this version from the original, think about this: it's one of many great, great songs from one of the best upcoming bands in the scene today. Why not just sit back, crack open a cold beverage of your choice, and enjoy the ride?

Album Review: Misser- Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going to be a Better Person

(Click here to purchase the album)

In 2011, the pop-punk revival took place, with This Time Next Year's Drop Out of Life calling fans' memories back to the time when New Found Glory ruled the summer, while Transit's Listen & Forgive (number one on Keep Calm's "Best Albums of 2011" list!) saw the band take a turn towards the early days of emo with less aggression than Keep This to Yourself had, but much more meaning. In 2012, with both bands touring extensively to support said albums, Guitarist/vocalists Brad Wiseman and Tim Landers (of TTNY and Transit, respectively) found some down time together to put out their side-project's debut full-length release Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going to be a Better Person. With two respected up-and-coming bands, the backing of new powerhouse label Rise Records, and what may end up being one of the longest album titles of the year (or more?), there's certainly enough buzz going around about Misser. After listening to all thirteen tracks, it becomes clear that the band deliver one of the most powerful albums of the year.

Acoustic opener "Permanently" starts off like a night after drinking. "Feels like I'm permanently hung over," Wiseman and Landers sing, and the song slowly goes along, trying to find its bearings. "Permanently" makes way for "Time Capsules," which kick-starts the album, and Every Day establishes itself as an album that can go in any direction at any point. "Time Capsules" transitions in and out of quiet and loud moments, with a great chorus tucked into it all. "Bridges" finds Landers opening the track, singing "Been burning bridges faster  than paper," as Wiseman comes in after to complete the line. Much of Every Day finds both men switching between lead vocals (a la Four Year Strong), which makes sense, as they are both the more course, aggressive voice in their respective main bands. However, what makes the album so surprising vocally is when Wiseman and Landers harmonize, which is pulled off wonderfully, thanks to the range Landers began to show on Listen & Forgive. As "Time Capsules" ends with Wiseman and Landers switching the parts they sang in the beginning, "Weightless" begins raucously, and continues the same pace as one of the faster songs on the album. Lyrically, Misser provide a great mood throughout Every Day, looking back at what's happened up to this point, and beginning to question what's going on around them. "I'm Really Starting to Hope the World Ends in 2012" begins to show the frustration with the cookie-cutter pop "music" out there today (a line like "I'm so sick of the songs on the radio"), and they also take aim at the state of television as well ("I'm so sick of the stupid f****** TV shows"). Full of jabs at the entertainment industry, the song comes out as a bit of a campfire sign along for anyone feeling angsty. 

"Reconnect This" is another fast(er) song, which begins the second half of the album with a much quicker punch than the first half. However, that pace quickly slows, making way for "Stay Asleep," a nostalgic look at a relationship falling apart, which stands out as one of the most emotionally charged songs on the album. Landers and Wiseman trade lines in each verse before harmonizing the song's chorus. If a more heart-wrenching song has been written this  year, I haven't heard it yet. 

"Bad News" picks up the pace that significantly dropped off after "Stay Asleep," while "She Didn't Turn Out to be that Cool" discusses the pitfalls of a long-distance relationship, namely the lack of emotion relayed over text messages or the Internet. "Can I come over?" Landers and Wiseman sing, "I'm too tired of phone lines and computer screens." "I'm Sick?" is the album's only true hiccup, with lyrics that should have been written by a bunch of teenagers, not two dudes who have released a combined five full-lengths before this one. "Sanity" provides one last acoustic-driven song, and "The Waits" follows the same themes of "She Didn't Turn Out to be the Cool," with both Landers and Wiseman both singing "I hope like Hell you mean it when you say that I'm worth the wait."

"She Didn't Turn Out to be that Cool" also has the album's best one-liner: "I can't waste any more time wasting time." On Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going to be a Better Person, Landers and Wiseman don't waste any time, words, or anything else, and the result is one of the most honest, heartfelt albums of the year. With so many side-projects coming in and out of existence, Misser proves on Every Day that they have enough talent and sincerity to be one of the projects people will want to have round for a long time. 

The Bottom Line: If you're a fan of This Time Next Year or Transit, there's plenty from both bands you'll recognize and enjoy from Misser. You may want to have some tissues handy, though, because Misser sure know how to tug and those heart strings. While Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going to be a Better Person is certainly a great motto to have, it may also be one of the best albums of 2012.

Recommended if you rock: Transit's Listen & Forgive and This Time Next Year's Drop Out of Life(duh), Into It. Over It.'s Proper, what Four Year Strong would have sounded like if In Some Way, Shape, or Form was good.

Get behind it: Follow Misser on Twitter and/or check out their Facebook page.

How to "Carry On": Glamour Kills Tour/Warped Tour 2012 Special

Keep Calm and Carry On began last fall with the most humble of intentions: simply, to play the best emo music around every week. But along the way, something really, really special started to happen. All of a sudden, Craig and I stood in front of the Theater of the Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA, to interview A Loss for Words and Transit about the "Tour of the Year" for 2012. Seriously, no matter what happens, this was the tour of the year. Nothing's going to top it, and I'm not sure if any tour in the summer/fall/winter will even come close. What's even better, we were also able to do a sit-down with Evan Weiss, also known as Into It. Over It., just a few days before! The last two semesters have brought about great changes in Keep Calm and Carry On inside and outside of the DJ booth, and this week was intended to thank you, our beloved listeners, by playing ALL THREE interviews to recap the Glamour Kills Tour 2012. If you missed them when they aired, you can check them out below:

Interview with Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It.

Interview with Marc Dangora and Mike Adams of A Loss for Words

Interview with Tim Landers of Transit

I have to admit, the fact that any of these interviews actually happened is unbelievable, and the fact that they all came out so well is such a blessing. Look for more good stuff like this in the future, and let us know who we should interview next in the comments!

In addition to wrapping up our coverage of the Glamour Kills Tour, we had to do some sort of celebration about last night being the last show until next fall. So, what better way to send you into the summer than by previewing the biggest Summer gathering of emo kids, the Vans Warped Tour, right? To get you all set for punk-rock summer camp, we played a ton of songs from bands you need to be checking out this summer. At every Warped Tour, there seems to be a non-Main Stage band who draws enormous crowds, and catapults to the main stage the next year. Last year's culprits were metalcore stars Of Mice & Men (playing Main Stage all tour this summer), and if I had to guess who this summer's big winners of Warped will be, I'd go with the young, talented, and fearless Sleeping With Sirens. Their bland of pop-emo and metalcore will have as many kids moshing as they are trying to touch rockstar frontman Kellin Quinn, and when you combine sex appeal with the type of jams SWS are capable of, a powerhouse is born. Check out their new video for "Do It Now Remember It Later" below:

From the bottom of our collective hearts, thanks for listening, reading, following, and supporting Keep Calm and Carry On. It's been a blast, and I can't help but feel the best is yet to come. Be sure to check back here often for more album reviews, Bands/Songs of the Week, and a whole bunch more good stuff! Have a safe and happy summer, everyone.

Keep Calm and Carry On,

Donald Wagenblast

Retro Review: Transit- Listen & Forgive

(click here to purchase this album)

With this week being very slow in terms of album releases, Keep Calm and Carry On has decided to take a look back at an album that wasn’t reviewed because of the blog’s hiatus last year.  With that said, I have decided to take a look back at Transit’s third full-length album and Rise Records debut Listen and Forgive.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say it. If a Most Improved Band award existed for last year in music, Transit would be the biggest slam dunk since Michael Jordan in Space Jam. The Massachusetts band took huge steps forward from their last full-length Keep This to Yourself, adapting a completely different and wholly more original sound.  Joe Boynton and Tim Landers learned how to play off each other’s unique voices perfectly and create new, perfect harmonies. Guitarists Torre Cioffi and Landers lay down some of the most original twinkly guitar lines and Daniel Frazier is probably the most underrated drummer in the scene (see “Cutting Corners” and realize why Frazier is an absolutely insane drummer; those rolls are perfection)

 

The first thought that comes to mind when listening to opening track “You Can’t Miss It (It’s Everywhere)” is that Transit could very well fit in with the 90’s Midwestern emo trend pioneered by Captain Jazz and American Football. In fact, Joe Boynton has much the same inflection as Mike Kinsella at times. One trait that Transit seems to have pulled from these early emo songs the most is the "devil is in the details" approach to recording. The band seems to add little embellishments that make each song feel just a little tiny bit more cohesive. the tiny guitar string slide in the first verse of "Long Lost Friends"  acoustic guitar backing on most of the song, which helps the overall sound become more fleshed out, the lower register vocals that Boynton records on "I Think I Know You" to provide a three-part harmony with his higher register vocals and Landers' middle ground. Though these nuances may never come to the forefront, repeated listenings to the album makes them more than evident to the listener.


The hints of Transit's past sound are slim, but still evident in the intro of “Cutting Corners” and a few other small moments of the album. But when the band wants to slow things down, they seem even more in their element. The simple riff and drum beat of the title track conjure up thoughts of summer and Fourth of July fireworks perfectly.

That actually seems to be Transit’s greatest ability as a band, the heartfelt lyrics and gorgeous soundscapes give the listener an impression of what Joe Boynton is seeing and feeling. The chorus of “Skipping Stone” is especially heart-wrenching, as Boynton sings “And every memory is like a skipping stone, you’ll never understand how long it took, the tides to bring them back to us.” The song is a tribute to moving on but still wanting to go back to a simpler time: a perfectly written nostalgic anthem. 

This nostalgic theme can be seen in several of the other songs on the album. “I miss the breeze of the summer air, the sunlight against my skin, do you remember it? We all felt more alive,” Boynton sings on “Asleep at the Wheel”.  This recurring feeling of wanting to go to a past time is one of the aspects of Listen & Forgive that makes it so special. That, and the fact that it is just a perfectly written batch of songs by a band that may be the best young band in the scene right now.

Bottom Line: When critics look back in ten years at Transit’s career, they will look at Listen & Forgive as the band’s Tell All Your Friends or Deja Entendu, the album that changed the game for the band and the on that the fans will continually compare each new release to. Listen & Forgive is, with good reason, an instant classic.

Recommended if you rock: This, and this, and this, and this

How to "Carry On": Spring Tour 2012

After a brief one-week break, Keep Calm and Carry On returned Friday with the "Spring Tour 2012" special, which highlighted the best tours that will be going across the US in the next few months. Among the tours highlighted were the Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows headlining tour with Hit the Lights, Like Moths to Flames, and Sparks the Rescue, headlining tours from I am the Avalance, The Dangerous Summer, and Man Overboard, along with the second North American run for The Devil Wears Prada's Dead Throne Tour, and a brief preview of the bands that have been announced for The Bamboozle Festival thus far.

However, the main focus of this tour was the tour that was highlighted at the top of the 9:00 hour of the show, highlighting the Glamour Kills 2012 tour. Headlined by The Wonder Years, who will be headlining their first full US tour since exploding onto the pop-punk map with 2010's The Upsides, followed up by 2011's even more spectacular Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing. Supporting The Wonder Years will be Polar Bear Club, Transit, and The Story So Far, with A Loss for Words and Into It. Over It. splitting the opening act spot on the first and second halves of the tour, respectively.

As if the list of bands sharing the stage on the Glamour Kills tour weren't enough, the bands have now done something rarely (if ever) seen for a tour-- a split that features a song from each band, and the bands on the tour covering those songs on the b-side of the vinyl. The vinyl was featured for a ticket pre-order, with many packages selling out in mere minutes. The presence of the vinyl can only add to what will likely be more surprises on what has emerged as the front-runner for the tour of the year in 2012. Check out the dates, ticket prices, and tour routing here, and make sure to get them soon, because dates are beginning to sell out!

We'll see you next week for Keep Calm and Carry On on 91.3FM WTSR or on www.wtsr.org on Friday from 9-11PM!

Long Time Coming: The Best Albums of 2011

After a long hiatus, its good to be back: welcome to the new, revamped "Keep Calm and Carry On" blog! To save the cheesy re-introductions, let's just state the obvious one more time: 2011 was a great year for music. Huge release after monster single after bar-setting debut after stunning music video after genre-defining album, and all that was left for me to do was somehow make a list of the best albums of the year. Here is my best attempt at said list, and the 15 albums that will define 2011 (according to Keep Calm and Carry On, at least) are:

Show Recap: Lost Tape Collective Holiday Show at First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA

On December 31, the world welcomed the new year, and the first of the second decade of the 21st century. This obviously meant a serious amount of partying to be had, and deservedly so: 2010 was a crazy year, if the 12 Days of Christmas special was any indication. However, for a few hundred kids crammed into a church basement in Philly, the New Years' festivities started a little early, as a who's-who of up and coming pop-punk acts rang, belted, shouted, and screamed in 2011 in a big, big way at the Lost Tape Collective Holiday Show.