Is it a hit, *hit or miss?

Letter Kills -  The Bridge  by Mark Hensch

Letter Kills -  The Bridge
Label: Island
Rating: 

Warped Tour 2004 wardens Letter Kills are quasi-victims of their own ambition. Straining to not only debut effectively, they also try to find a niche' in the crowded pop-punk/emo/screamo world. With so much pressure behind their debut (which has been supported months in advance by near constant touring) Letter Kills build The Bridge as a debut, but the structure has a few too many fault-lines to stand alone and unaided.

The band, formed in Temecula, California circa 2002, kicks things off with "Lights Out." A textbook of the things that converted people like me into giving Letter Kills a chance, the song features poignant sing-alongs over driving riffs and 80's guitars. Vocalist Matt Shelton stretches between strange vocal twists, screams, and outright singing. 

"Don't Believe" is the song that gave these guys the chance. A jazzy and fun little song, "Don't Believe" also has some more odd vocals from Shelton. 

"Whatever it Takes" is a mediocre little jam that has some more introspective and subtle guitaring. "Brand New Man" is a poppy tune that killed the moment for me in about twenty seconds. 

"Clock is Down" is a sadder song, again poppy in nature, that still manages to be better then the last track. 

"Time Marches  On" has the band perform a high-octane rocker with a sweet solo towards the end. "Carry You" is a return to the vein of say "Don't Believe" with the band launching repeated group vocals and driving Southern Rock riffs into a more melodic chorus. 

"Hold My Heart  (Part 2)" is a short and bland acoustic song that showcases good guitars over basic and formulaic vocals all too common in the  emo/pop-punk/screamo genre. 

"When You're Away" wails in with some deep riffs and a little feedback before going out with a fairly    enjoyable song. 

"Radio Up" is a sweet rocker song that manages to juggle catchiness and experimentation (mainly in the form of the vocals). 

"Shot to the Chest" is a sweet rocker that makes good usage of both guitars. "Hold My Heart (Part 1)" is an equally lame addition to the aforementioned part two, and one that doesn't add anything different to the CD.

This is an album that inspires contradictions. After listening to it, it gives off an aura of bipolar song writing. The good songs are top-notch, unique (at least in this genre) and very entertaining. On the other side of the coin, this CD has a set of songs that are bland, uninspired, and largely easy to forget. With the amount of hype placed on these guys, I don't find it too shocking that the album is severely disjointed. In fact, one could even point to The Bridge as a prime example of rushed recording. The saddest part is the fact that unlike most other bands, Letter Kills has guitarists that could be used for great things (and unique things too). The vocals also could be a lot more interesting, frontman Matt Shelton shows moments of near-genius but then falters into generic singing that for some reason reminds me of Good Charlotte. Granted, these guys can be so much more then a flash in the pan pop-punk act, as they have a style struggling to truly define itself, and I am excited to see if they can pull it off. Here's hoping they do.

Tracks: 1. Lights Out 2. Don't Believe 3. Whatever It Takes 4. Brand New Man 5. Clock is Down 6. Time Marches On 7. Carry You 8. Hold My Heart (Part 2) 9. When You're Away 10. Radio Up 11. Shot to the Chest 12. Hold My Heart (Part 1)

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