CD Review: No Harm Done - Escape

No Harm Done - Escape

I'm generally not a fan of straight edge music. While I used to pretty adamantly champion straight edge beliefs, after a certain age you stop being a 'Straight Edger' and simply a 'dude who doesn't like to smoke, drink or do drugs'. Moreover, sXe music was rooted in East Coast hardcore which, growing up as a West Coast pop punker, never really resonated with me. Melodic hardcore, however, was always that happy medium that I could really get into.

Enter 'No Harm Done' who merge the bits of sXe hardcore that I loved (the anthemic chanting) and poppy melodic hardcore sensibilities. As other reviewers have noted, these guys sound something like 'post-reunion Lifetime' and I'd add that they falls into the same category as the first two Rise Against CDs (read: the good ones).

Moreover these young Florida kids (while I'm not exactly sure, they can't really be that much older than twenty) compose music as if they were much older. Already on their third CD, 'Escape' moves them is a very good direction and their travel roster is already pretty impressive. Musically, the layered riffs are catchy, the breakdowns are solid and the the songwriting is well done. From the beginning of the disc the listener is rewarded with chourusy chants, starting the CD off with 'This is my escape!' Throughout the rest of the CD we get similar sing-along mosh pit favorites like the chorus in the song 'Festivus Yes Bagels No' which chants 'Fuck your glory days!'

Moreover, songs like 'Throwing Bricks' win me over not only for its tight integration of songwriting and music ('Everything I know/Everything I love/Just comes and goes') but also because it ends with a 'Home Alone' quote, which admittedly had the potential of being pretty cheesy, actually fit really well into the song.

The CD isn't without it criticism though, and when listened to from top to bottom gets pretty monotonous and repetitive. The key, I found is to listen to them either as singles or mixed into a shuffle. On their own each song stands on its own, but ironically when put together just gets tired. However, these kids are young, really young, and if I was pumping out music as good as this I'd be pretty damn proud of myself, as these guys should be.

Moreover, their entire CD is posted at the link above. Since its free, you really don't have a reason not to try it out. Just hit play as you read your e-mail.