| For a band whose drummer just became old
enough to buy cigarettes, Close Enough exhibit a punk rock sincerity and talent that
should be the envy of musicians twice their senior. However, like most boys eagerly
looking forward to reaching the legal drinking age, what they make up for in ambition,
they lack in restraint. It's obvious Alkaline Trio has been a major influence on Close
Enough, especially with their new six-song release, Liquid in My Lungs. The
frenetic guitar riffs, cymbal-heavy drumming and vocal harmonies are worthy of their
heroes. Unfortunately, the dynamics of Liquid.. lack the musical valleys mastered
by more accomplished punk bands like the Deftones or the Vandals. These bands have a
darkness to them that, while exhibited in the moody intros of Close Enough songs like
"Say Goodbye" or "Impossible Reality" is immediately interrupted by
unfiltered angst.
A local Metro/Fireside darling, Close Enough
will probably grow out of their boyish musical habits before they're allowed to drink at
their own shows. So, Liquid.. is at least a promising beginning.
What's really unfortunate, however, is that the
feverish quality of this band's earnest early years cannot be effectively caught in a
studio recording. The strange, attractive charm of boys at the fag end of their teens
cannot be recorded and stored for later use. It must be witnessed. As made obvious by the
almost restrained quality of what would otherwise be highly explosive music on Liquid,
Close Enough is a band that must be seen live. It's a show fans of angst-ridden,
relationship-analyzing, moody, frantic punk will not want to miss. And, as it's on the
verge of becoming something even greater as these punk rockers cruise into their twenties,
it's a show that won't last long.
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