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by Tony Pascarella Published: May 3, 2005
Seattle has been the breeding ground for many bands over the past 15 years or so, and among them is Amber Pacific. Led by powerful frontman Matt Young, the band released their debut EP on Hopeless Records in 2003. They followed up in late May of 2005 with their debut full-length, titled The Possibility and the Promise Amber Pacific Is: Matt Young (Vocals) Will Nutter (Guitar, Backup Vocals, Piano, Keyboard) Justin Westcott (Guitar) Greg Strong (Bass) Dango (Drums) With a surging riff to open the lead song, "Everything We Were Has Become What We Are," Amber Pacific begins to impress quickly. Young's questioning tone builds itself atop Dango's frantic drumming. When you hear it, you want to scream "cliché!" but upon taking a closer look you'll begin to realize it's actually fairly original punk rock. I hope I'm not the only one, however, to notice a striking similarity between Amber Pacific on this song and the band Story of the Year, except I have to say AP is far more enjoyable. "Poetically Pathetic" follows, and the song is anything but. Lyrically, the band is expansive, albeit a bit cheesy and the instruments are explosive. Again, Dango rocks out behind the drums while Matt Young is just one hundred percent enjoyable to listen to. No slight to the guitars, which really pick up in the latter half of the song and give it an even heavier kick than it already has. "Gone So Young" deals with the loss of a loved one. The emotion that Matt Young imparts is obvious, with even the instruments toned down a touch. They aren't as raw and aggressive, but are in fact, more focused. These aren't your average angsty punk rockers, though. While lyrics like "If ever you cry/Just know/I'm in your heart tonight" aren't profound, Amber Pacific makes it sound crisp and refreshing. On a similar topic, pain, "Save Me From Me" uses a solid intro and first verse with Dango excelling on the drums again. This song isn't as lyrically diverse as the previous songs, and as such, doesn't stand out as much. Matt's vocal range is better here, as he hits some higher notes and manages to venture away from the straight-up punk sound on some of the softer parts of the song. "Postcards" has a summer feel to it, which should help Amber Pacific fans latch onto it. Atop vibrant guitar chords and bass line from Will Nutter, Justin Westcott, and Greg Strong it also happens to have arguably one of the catchiest choruses I've ever heard. Young's imagery on "For What It's Worth" is powerful. It happens to be another song of loss that has an interesting violin and cello interlude in the middle that makes the whole thing. This isn't the best song on The Possibility and the Promise partly because it repeats the chorus a few too many times, which gets to be an annoyance after a few listens through the album. I admire the range that Matt has on the intro to "The Right To Write Me Off." After the rest of the band launches into the song, it loses a little bit of luster. Dango's drumming is again above-average, and the passion Amber Pacific has here is obvious. "The Sky Could Fall Tonight" is very Story Of The Year sounding, at least to me. They use charismatic riffs and Young's commandingly vivid vocals to power through this one. Again with the catchy chorus, they pull the listener in--hook, line, and sinker. The one thing that tends to get on my nerves is when bands pick an already-clichéd topic, and help to beat it to death a little bit more. In this case, it's the idea of using falling in a song. In Amber Pacific's "Falling Away," they at least keep from being too formulaic by their impressive performance with the instruments. "Always You (Good Times)" starts with a punchy faded riff that builds and is soon backed by Dango. Another chorus that's so overblown that it's good pops up here. The guitar/bass players are solid on this one, though. With a smooth piano intro, the ballad "If I Fall" is quite simply superb. Amber Pacific manages to pull off the punk ballad with a piano without sounding pretentious or overdone, a feat in the day of so many bands that sound alike. Matt Young's voice is deeply personal, and the song comes off extremely well. They close the album with the rip-roaring "Can't Hold Back." Dango's machine-gun drumming leads off a song with a message, don't regret your choices. The layering of this song is excellent, with the drums and the powerful guitar chords battling for airtime. In the end, it shows how good this five-piece punk band really is. Amber Pacific's first foray into the land of full-length albums is a smashing success. With charismatic vocalist Matt Young, a great guitar and bass section, and Dango, the lord of the drums, this band is set to make a big impression. I enjoyed this album because it's well-executed punk rock. Make no mistake; The Possibility and the Promise is one heck of an album. 
Recommendation: This is a great one. If you want to hear the best punk album so far this year, The Possibility and the Promise is for you. Genre: Punk Overall Grade: A- (92%) If you are a publicist or associated with a band and would like either the author or any staff member to review your disc, please use the same method of contact, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. |
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