*7.5 out of 10*
A Skylit Drive’s album “Adelphia”, released on Fearless Records on June 9, 2009, is a perfect example of post-hardcore. Mixing an incredible range of melodic vocals with high and low screams, melodic close to whimsicle guitars with heavy breakdowns, and almost dance like synth patterns with double bass kick drumming. There is an undeniable uniqueness in singer Michael Jagmin’s voice and melodies that will either make or break this album depending on if the listener can accept that it is, in fact, a man singing and not a woman. His talent and range is apparent but if the band didn’t have bassist’s Brian White’s screams to add balance, the singing might be just a little too penetrating. A Skylit Drive is lacking general song structure but somehow still find a way to make the album overall an enjoyable and likable listen. Lyrically, you are taken on a journey through a conceptual story about the town Adelphia and its phenomenons. For a concept album, there is still a great deal of relate ability and emotion in the lyrics which is perfectly complimented by both guitar and keyboards.
A Skylit Drive will undoubtedly do well with this follow up to 2008′s “Wires…And the Concept of Breathing” but as far as gaining new fans may come up short. If you didn’t like post-hardcore or A Skylit Drive before, there’s no bind-blowing aspects of “Adelphia” that is suddenly going to change your mind.
Track 5, “Eva the Carrier,” incorporates slightly more impressive guitar and drum patterns and is easily the most likable song on the entire album. The song itself takes you on a journey seemlessly going from heavy to light and back to heavy but still missing the structure a trained ear might listen for. Other notable tracks are the piano driven “I Swear This Place Is Haunted” and “Children of Adelphia” which is scattered with breakdowns and lyrically gives the most obvious description of what the whole album is touching on.
This band has been on the rise for the past 3 years and if you haven’t heard them yet, you may have been living undearneath an anti-scene rock. But that’s alright because “Adelphia” might just be their golden ticket to the top.
