As It Is: This Mind Of Mine

Artist: As It Is
Title: This Mind Of Mine
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Release: 17th March 2014
Reviewed By: Ben Chapman

Bitter Broken Me, the opening track on This Mind Of Mine, pokes at the misery-wallowing preconceptions of the emo-punk genre with antithetically upbeat instrumentals. A harkening back to the reign of slightly aggressive pop-punk with emotional sensibility, it's possible to note or at least imagine a range of influences. Perhaps it's not the most original mix of music, but it's a mix of pretty good stuff that fulfils its aims with ease: catchy melodic vocals reveal the self-confessed Taking Back Sunday persuasions, but the harmonies give the anthemic power of Underoath’s Reinventing Your Exit, only cooled off slightly with the clean melodic care of Jimmy Eat World.

As It Is have apparently mastered the blending of spirited, boppable tunes with easy-listening tones. Cooing vocals whisper sweet nothings under a skidding bass, while dangerously close to being a bit overly-formulaic of its genre here, are carried off rather well, just about getting away with it like the mischievous high-school rogue that the music approximates. The cheeky guitar riff in Horoscopes is a tight, quick melodic loop, one of the many pleasant embellishments that redeem certain other parts of the album as it jumps octaves above the rhythm sections, an apt and unashamed (but most importantly generally welcome) addition to the Emo- cannon.

Can't Save Myself showcases the careful deployment of the band's multiple vocalists. The range of the vocal melodies here is quite contagious but borrows too heavily from Fall Out Boy to merit credit. That said, an affectionate yet shouty chorus really feels like a heartfelt effort as all the instruments join in on accenting rhythm of the vocal hooks. The palm muted rhythm guitar provides our five-a-day until the heaviness is increased, the tempo lets up, and genuine power is added to the ringing vocal harmonies. A song with an oddly equal mix of enjoyable and off-putting parts.

Final track Relive This Story features a slower, less energetic intro that builds slowly as the guitar melody picks out a gentle interpretation of the pop-punk ballad in careful, thoughtful, triple metre context. The vocalists breach a tasty compromise of tuneful singing with just the right hints of scratchy roaring.

Though the album isn't always groundbreaking, it doesn't have to be. This is short, fast, and loud stuff with enough melodic thoughtfulness to encourage repeat listens whilst certainly appealing to fans of similar acts.