Review: Straight Line Stitch - The Fight Of Our Lives

Originally I was going to review this album a week ago and it probably would have been pretty negative. This second major release from SLS with singer Alexis Brown just did not rub me the right way on my first listen, but I decided to give it a chance and continue on with it for a while. Through some line-up changes and constant touring, the band finally put out a follow-up to 2008’s When Skies Wash Ashore. My problem started on the first track ‘Tear Down The Sky’. The first 55 seconds of the song is harsh and intense, feeding into exactly what I was expecting. Then the momentum changed, dropping into a more steady rhythm that was, dare I say, comfortable. That seems to be the feeling throughout the album. I don’t think this album is very risky at all, and maybe that’s a bit of its downfall. You still have your hardcore elements to fit in with the heavy hitters they tour with, but there are a great many more songs on the rock side that will open them up to a whole new audience. I don’t think this is bad by any means, and will introduce them to a wider market of fans. That being said, it took me a few weeks of listening to this CD to settle in, so sample at your own risk.