The Braces - Two Years (ALBUM REVIEW)

This is a pretty good album. If that's all you need to hear to check it out then take my word for it.

The Braces have crafted a nice album that should easily standout this year. From the album artwork to the songwriting, the potential for this band to appeal to music listeners is pretty good in my humble opinion. Two Years is the kind of album that should put this band on people's radar.

The music has intensity, but also has some somber moments and those moments allow the listener a second or two to truly appreciate the good songwriting on the album. It definitely has an early emo/punk vibe of some of the favorite bands and albums of the early to mid-2000s. Vocalists Zack Sekuler and Nick Jerrems do a good job trading back and forth on tracks. The track "Vandal" is a great representation of the back and forth of Sekuler and Jerrems. The vocalists often times sound like they are channeling their inner Matt Pryor throughout most of the album. They are pretty successful doing it as well. The track "Scratches" is a high octane quick track. Lyrically it stands out on the album. The lyrics "I was young. I was angry. I grew up, but nothing could change me" will easily resonate with many and it is such a sing-along-able track. It might easily be my favorite track on the album. The short track "Bedrooms" is one of the somber moments on the album that comes toward the end and lets the album breathe for just a moment before the band launches into "Inconsiderate" which closes the album out nicely.

I think The Braces have achieved what so few bands can do and that is to create an album that sounds like a mixture of so many bands while still sounding unique enough to stick out. It feels like a coming of age and coming to terms album. Lyrically I think the album will resonate well with people that are coming to terms with the fact that growing up is such a constant thing (be it in your teens, twenties, or beyond).  I would definitely recommend checking this album out if you are a fan of bands like Get Up Kids, Hey Mercedes, Saves The Day, etc. Aside from some of the classics if you are a fan of the newer bands like Transit or Set Your Goals this would probably have the quickness and freshness to appeal to you as well.