Voice In the Wire - Signals In Transmissions

Disappointment washed over me on my initial listen of Voice in the Wire's Signals in Transmission. Why? Because I wanted to claim false advertising against whoever said that this band is similar to Lifetime and Strike Anywhere. But like I said, those were thoughts upon my introduction to the band, and when I listened more intently, I realized that maybe those comparisons aren't so far-fetched. This young quintet from Pittsburgh definitely has a lot going for it--they're equally at home with their sound on the radio or in one of the thousands of dirty punk rock basements around the country. There's an element at work here that tells the listener that this record is recent. I guess I mean to say there are parts of the album that are overdone these days in the mainstream "punk rock" scene, which will help the band shoulder their way into airplay, but still, there's a lot of roughness too. If Hot Water Music had started playing music in 2004, this might be what they'd sound like. Featuring cameos from None More Black's Jason Shevchuk ("Second Story" and "Better Days"), and Anti-Flag's Chris #2 on "Mark Each Word," Signals in Transmission maintains punk rock credibility while still allowing the band to be very accessible. The entire album is catchy, and almost too predictable, but the band makes good use of gang vocals. And I wonder how they were never picked up by No Idea Records. Location shouldn't be everything. These guys have more of a Gainesville sound than a lot of the bands that are actually from there. In short, while this record falls short of spectacular, it's definitely solid and enjoyable and should please all fans of rough, melodic punk rock. [www.voiceinthewire.com]