Kids Near Water offer up a sound of post-punk/hardcore that is both addictive and forgettable. How can that be you ask? Well, it's simple. They have nice hooks, a very strong lyrical driving force, and yet it's somewhat forgettable. The vocals seem almost impotent at times... there's not enough of a driving force to get beneath your skin and tear you up.

Don't get me wrong, these guys pull together a decent album (songs like Forward Thinking and Pleasant Morning Thoughts), but it's not one that you crave (and songs like Token go to prove that). You could play it a few times, put it down and in a couple weeks probably forget that you even own it.

Fans of Roadside Monument, Drive Like Jehu, and the DC Punk scene will drool over this album.

Mike Frost
www.buzzgrinder.com