Denver Harbor – Scenic / 2004 Universal Records / 12 Tracks / http://www.denverharbormusic.com/ http://www.universalrecords.com / Reviewed 21 December 2004

I never liked Fenix*Tx, but Denver Harbor starts off their “Scenic” with a very hopped-up style of punk not unlike a mixture of Pennywise and Sum 41. The first track, “Xenophobia” is a little chaotic, with a Dexter Holland-style of vocals (Will) cutting through the wall of noise created by Mark Trombino’s production. What immediately strikes me with “Scenic “ is the repetition found amongst the track, with the main result being “Xenophobia”’s 3:27 sounding more like 6:00. Striking back convincingly with their “Picture Perfect Wannabe”, Denver Harbor provides their audience with the cutting-edge of road trip music; a strong drum beat divides the attention previously placed on Will. “Outta My Head” pushes the envelope created by the first two tracks; tying together a harder edge with a strong sense of pop harmony, Denver Harbor coalesced into something impressive during this track.

Aaron’s bass lines finally come to the rescue amongst the high-altitude guitar solos that litter “Satisfied”, keeping the disc fresh and forcing the rest of the band to go in directions that they would not normally go. The tension created during “All I Want” is the first noticeable chink in Denver Harbor’s armor: the slowed-down drumbeat on this track pulls down any advancement by Will. The only thing that saves the track from the dustbin is the bursting forth of the guitars, but other things pop-up through the disc that keep it from achieving success. The Police-esque ska influence that rears its head throughout the disc seems half-baked and thrown in willy-nilly. The hardcore-punk side of Denver Harbor is perhaps their strongest suit, but there are so many side-roads on this disc that I feel as if they lose track of that sound.

During the twelve tracks of “Scenic”, brief flashes of brilliance find themselves through the mire of tedium and weak intentions that plague this disc. “Move On” follows the same path as “Xenophobia”: it makes the strongest case for being a radio single, but seems to be a Sum 41 B-side. The band may exhibit the fury and energy that brought punk to the forefront almost thirty years ago, but it has none of the earthy soul that drove the bands into creating a new way of looking at music. The incorporation of so many musical genres is only a strong suit for a band when they have the ability and knowledge to tie things together successfully; Denver Harbor struggles and eventually fails in that regard.

Top Tracks: Way Back Home, Satisfied

Rating: 5.1/10