Sirens (Anniversary Edition)

An intense surge of post-hardcore, the long-awaited follow-up to On the Might Of Princes' successful Where You Are and Where You Want to Be is more exploratory, but just as dynamic and emotional. The Long Island quartet focuses less on singalong, quiet-then-loud personal anthems, and more on developing their complex arrangements and fierce delivery. Produced with Garrison's Ethan Dussault in ten days, it's also the first time all four members collaborated on just about every song. They go from roaring cascades to interweaving breakdowns, always with plenty of harmonic guitar and caustic vocals from Jason Rosenthal. The latter especially comes through on the walloping "You Whistle, I'll Shoot," with hefty drums by Chris Enriquez. "Here Come the Sirens" builds up and then explodes into post-hardcore heaven. The lyrics to these piercing pieces evoke much sorrow: "amongst the tide we are insignificant/drowned by our discontent in a life still stagnant" they lament on "The Swell and the Breaking." Heavy stuff. ~ Kenyon Hopkin