Near Miss - Testing The Ends of What They'll Put Up With

Near Miss - Testing The Ends of What They'll Put Up With / 2006 Takeover / 12 Tracks / http://www.nearmissmusic.com / http://www.takeoverrock.com / Reviewed 10 July 2006

To say that Near Miss is an eclectic band is to hit their target right down the middle. While songs like �Serious Mess� bring the band into emo territory, a song that happens only a few minutes after �Serious Mess� like �Call For Help� recalls the halcyon days of early Sum 41. The band can do any one of tens of styles equally well; the band�s pedigree means that they are able to pull from a tremendous amount of influences.

The eclectic nature of �Testing The Ends� may be something that irks some listeners, but it is good to think of Near Miss� album more as a compilation than as a coherent statement. By removing the necessity to have ties between track son an album, individuals can appreciate the album much more. A lot of the press has been about the band trying to pick up a few extra styles, in the hope that they could make it big. I would pose that this is a clinic done by mature band members that know exactly what they are doing; the constant that individuals should perk up and pay attention to is the same high quality that each track on �Testing The Ends� adheres to. Other individuals may have found fault with the different time signatures worked under by the multiple vocalists on tracks like �Now Rectify�. To do this without creating a high amount of dissonance on the album shows that the band knows what the hell that they are doing; the well-oiled machine that is Near Miss can switch their sound in the space of just a few seconds and not lose any of their listeners.

Where a track like �Falling Out� would seem to be filler at best, one can hear the beauty of the band the clearest. There is a firm line drawn by the guitars, while the vocals point at listeners� pressure points. This vocal power is comparable to Yellowcard, where the slightly-nasal quality of Yellowcard�s vocalist was able to send chills up a listener�s spine at will. Near Miss keep a high amount of energy during their �Testing The Ends�, and this should be the primary reason why individuals are kept dialed in for the entirety of the disc. Just remember to take this disc as a compilation rather than an as an album, and chances are that the beauty of the album will become apparent soon after.

Top Tracks: Serious Mess, Take It Back

Rating: 6.3/10

[JMcQ]