Rescue - Volume Plus Volume

Too arty to be considered pure pop and too pop to be considered art-rock, it’s gotta be tough for the boys in Rescue. Although evading the rigid genre regiment is always a good thing, Rescue quickly resort to a simple formula despite their unformulaic means. Their second full-length, Volume Plus Volume, is the sound of structurally complex art-pop being sifted through the accessible emo filter to arrive at music that’s articulate, but a little, well, lacking. Rescue attempt to put an intelligent spin on the typical emo-rock that breaks hearts and tears eyes, but despite how rapidly this foursome shift tempos and vary time changes, they lack appeal. Volume Plus Volume simply spends too much time meandering through the aspects of technical and complex music that it forgets the endearing elements of emotion and fun. Rescue, although dynamic and talented in their approach, seem calculated and mathematically reliant – which is commendable, but they teeter on the rock edge without really rocking and stumble along the border of emo without being emotional. This album would best be suited for art-school kids who want their pop with loads of logarithms and trigonometry. But when was the last time you met a calculus teacher who also majored in art? Yeah, it’s a fickle crowd. [www.rescuedotcom.com]