Routine Maintenance

The sound of this album is closer in line with the direction of the latest Wonder Years album. It has some good tracks and has a wonderful story, but it just falls flat on intensity compared to the Bittersweet single. The Bittersweet single has more inanity than this entire album, but the album is not bad by any means. Just missing that fire found in the likes of 67 Cherry Red and Green Like the Green Train. The good points of the album are the brass and wind sections, along with the banjo and harmonica parts in many of the songs. These parts really helped bring the album to life. The first single off of this album, Running Towards the Light, has a Springsteen-esque feel to it, and is a highlight of the album, along with Lead Paint and Salt Air, Just Sign the Papers, and Bury Me Anywhere Else. I hope for another follow up in a few years. Still a huge fan, but the first album and Bittersweet will still dominate my playlists.