Forty Hour Train Back to Penn
New York's the Movielife cut their teeth as spiky hardcore upstarts, but withForty Hour Train Back to Penn, they've evolved into a quality pop-punk band. Crushing tight emo intensity, shout-along choruses, and post-hardcore dynamics into a polished package, they provide a fine example of label Drive-Thru Records' skill at nailing the brightly populist side of modern punk. "Jamestown" displays the kind of heartfelt emo fury thatAt the Drive-Inspecialized in; the song chronicles a recent van crash that left frontman Vinnie Carusa "bruised and broken" and gives the album its name. Elsewhere, emotional pain drives Carusa's lyrics. "Face and Kneecaps" deals with a relationship nearing the end, while "Kelly’s Song" strikes a strong chord with the line: "When Kelly cries / The makeup runs from her eyes / Spilling the truth / Of how she feels inside." This is a band that plays to its strengths.--Louis Pattison