Apparitions of Melody

Sounds like … a hybrid of emo, alternative and hard rock that evokes the likes of The Juliana Theory, Mae, Further Seems Forever and current tour mates Spoken.At a glance … despite somewhat noticeable growth since their debut, the Kids still don't quite distinguish themselves from the pack in the alternative underground. Track ListingLast Day of 1888Safety in the DarknessEven Snakes Have HeartsBreaking the Legs of SheepApparitions of MelodyThe Seed We've SownSad and Guilty WaysBlind Behind the WheelBurt RutanHead Over HeelsThis Could Be the Song That Will Change Your Heart

After releasing a five-song EP on its own, Kids in the Way signed with Flicker Records and released Safe from the Losing Fight and soon toured with Pillar, Disciple, and Spoken. Their debut took not just a hard rock approach, but also leaned toward emo and general alternative rock. It may not have been drastically different from any other act in the same melting pot, but it did connect with teens and young adults enough to keep the band active on the road.

Apparitions of Melody, the group's sophomore album, opens in a more progressive direction with "Last Day of 1888," a merging of front man Dave Pelsue's screaming vocals with the dark, guitar-rippling personality of Fugazi. The more spiritually themed "The Seed We've Sown" is loaded with melodies, sounding like a cross between an original blueprint with what might be heard on a Chevelle or Mae album. Additionally insightful is the disc's epic, seven-minute closer "This Could Be the Song That Will Change Your Heart." After beginning like a melancholy ballad, the pacing builds with might into an emotional plea for redemption.

On the downside, the virtually interchangeable "Blind Behind the Wheel" and the title cut both sound like any other emo-screamo band out there. "Safety in the Darkness" and "Even Snakes Have Hearts" are softer in comparison, but could just as well be The Juliana Theory or Number One Gun. And though it was clever to cover Tears For Fears' "Head Over Heels" with barreling punk power instead of '80s pop, it's nowhere near as engaging or memorable as the original. Though the second time around sure does demonstrate some glimpses of improvement, it's moments like these that indicate Kids in the Way are still short of developing their own identity.