Album Details

• Artist: They And The Children
• Album: Home
• Label: Kill Normal
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-08-05

The east-coast hardcore movement stretches throughout a number of states, and the 90's Connecticut HC movement has spawned many an imitator and even an innovator or two. The scene is alive and kicking today, with new bands making graceful entrances (and exits) seemingly daily. One of the newest into the fray is CT's own They And The Children, dropping their debut full-length Home just last month. While a pure hardcore album at heart, there are ample amounts of melody and groove injected throughout that seem to call to a higher set of priorities than your typical hardcore punk outfit.

Over the 8 songs, the boys in They And The Children bounce around like nobody's business, tearing things up and doing it with a careful sense of engaging songwriting, so as to leave you on the edge of your seat throughout. Any great album should be bookended by great tracks, and this one is, with opener "Mechanical" slamming the pedal to the metal with some tasty groove-centric licks through, and closer "Gift" is an absolute monster clocking in at a surprising 9+ minutes (and oddly enough for a hardcore release, there are two such tracks, the only being the also excellent "Invisible" which comes in at a little under 9 minutes). In between are ample shots of HC. The vocals are the only real generic thing to be found, nothing too special but certainly fitting. The songwriting abilities of the band, coupled with the guitarists' brilliant sense of timing and rhythm, make almost every song stand out as memorable.

Debuts like this are always a treat. When a band comes out of nowhere with a clearly defined sound, however similar it may be to anyone else's, it's worth mentioning. While they take their cues from bands such as Converge, it's clear to see that They And The Children are trying to make waves on their own terms. This is one hardcore band you'll have to keep your eyes and ears on, as I see nothing but good things for them in the future. 

User Reviews and Comments