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For example, this seriously pissed-off singing in "Not 23 Anymore." Uff. As if the singer wanted to punch me in the face right away! That's how punk should be, you metal emos, and not with a forced bad-ass attitude! Although the song actually turns out to be quite a dynamic piece after listening to it 53 times (sic!). Kick the front door in with full force, and then a harmonious part can be added afterward without the song becoming bland. Not every band can do that.
For the already pop-punkish tracks, I would have wished for a bit more tempo now and then. That's my curse as a skate punk kid. Excursus: My aunt had a cassette recorder with a speed control. When I was visiting her as a punk rock kid, I finally enjoyed SOCIAL DISTORTION at the right speed. Wow! Seriously, the only punk music that benefits from slowness was my worn-out SEX PISTOLS cassette, which sounded so wobbly that it was extra antisocial.
Back to the main topic. "Cities Away" is a bit of a cheat because the album looks like it has an absolutely minimal sound of the rough kind. In reality, the musicians are by no means just two; in addition to guitar and drums, they also have a wonderfully rumbling bass or keys in the mix. The tracks are often sneakily poppy, making them stick in your ear forever. Thus, this record is significantly more durable than a pure LoFi outburst of anger would be. A lot of potential and a good debut that is worth listening to.
