After earning New York cred by joining hardcore stalwarts Kill Your Idols for a 2003 split release, Long Island's Crime in Stereo developed a scorching yet melodic brand of hardcore on its first two full-lengths. The band's third LP, 2007's Is Dead, put them on the map as a visceral force with songwriting chops to boot.
Sonically diverse without abandoning the fiery spirit that earned the band its following, Is Dead features wavy, progressive arrangements that suspend the listener in dreamy guitar effects and then deliver a pit-approved boot of hardcore to the chest. The album was hailed by critics as an adventurous and important step and opened the door for further exploration.
With I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone, released February 23, an extra pop sheen covers the jagged hooks of "Not Dead" and "Drugwolf." Each energetic chorus bursts free, with floating vocal harmonies and trippy guitar-pedal effects as decoration. What the band does with this new material live could be epic.
