It seems like so many CD's these days feel like just a collection of variants on the same song over and over again. While that song might be great, it gets a little old when you hear it over and over by listening to the whole disc (and they wonder why people download individual songs). Well, you won't have that problem with The Year After. Sure, there is a consistency to the sound here, but no one will accuse these guys of having a disc full of songs that all sound the same. Everything here has its own identity.

So, what kind of music do these guys play? The best way to describe it in a nutshell is "modern hard rock." That really misses a lot of the nuance and subtlety, though. These guys can rock hard, but they also know when to drop it back to the more mellow for great effect. I'd have to say that the predominate musical theme, though, is great songwriting. These guys know how to craft a song to be catchy. A lot of music sacrifices longevity for accessibility, though, by using too much repetition to gain that effect of the quick hooking of the listener. Not so with these guys. Their music is constructed with layers that allow you to bring something new away with repeated listenings.

If you like newer hard rock with an emphasis on solid songwriting, you don't get much better than this disc. These guys are playing The Rock Box on the 15^th of June. That means you still have plenty of time to get this disc and become familiar with the music before the show. It's bound to be a killer rock show and you'll better appreciate it if you have this to spin in advance. Afterwards it will be a great reminder of what's destined to be an experience you'll want to hang onto for years. Even if you can't make the gig you can't go wrong with this killer set of music. For those who say modern music lacks talent - you haven't heard The Year After. The Way To Get Around It is a collection of individual songs that work well on their own, but truly achieve their greatest sense of urgency and power presented as part of this whole. It is full of ups and downs in a disc that will get you dancing, thinking and just plain enjoying yourself.