Nostalgia Not

Since 2013 there’s been a rebirth of early 2000’s screamo–tinged pop punk bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco playing to the sort of confusing cheers of many fans who have now become full grown adults. Seemingly hoping to cash in on this revival, Kentucky’s Too Close to Touch have released their debut, Nerve Endings. Within the first few notes of the opening track, “Someday,” listeners will find themselves swept away to the days of Myspace music players and bright pink hair extensions, but without any of the fun of knowing the songs you’re hearing.

While overall the record sees no true standout tracks, some are more listenable than others. For example the title track, “Never Endings,” is annoyingly catchy, but you may not necessarily be happy that you can’t get it out of your head. Towards the end of the record, with songs like “Restless,” you’ll find your head bopping a bit, but it’s hard to tell whether the album has gotten better or if your ears have just been numbed by 2003 era nostalgia. Though songs like “Hell to Pay” display that the band’s attempt at heavier screamo influences are notably less successful than their poppier efforts, the breakdown is cliché sounding and its hard to find any passion there.

While it’s certainly debatable whether any attempt at digging up a style of music so associated with a point in time, not so long ago, that many music fans have hoped to forget about, is a good idea at all. But if it’s going to happen, Too Close to Touch prove it may be best left to the old pros. With so many more interesting things happening in heavy music, Nerve Endings is bound to find itself quickly forgotten, and the band may shortly follow suit if they don’t find something to spice up their sound.