Maker – Mirrors

Massachusetts four-piece Maker plays a hybrid brand of pop-punk with a refreshingly confident infusion of breakneck post-punk.  In other words, take the peppy elements of bands like Crucial Dudes andThe Wonder Years and smarten them up with thoughtful collateral circa Brand New and early Taking Back Sunday and you walk away with a balanced bite of all of the above.  As someone who has never truly been won over the output of many of the acts allied with the aforementioned pop-punkers, Maker’s debut full length, Mirrors, hits the right chords in all the places I usually avoid.

Maker’s most immediate strength plays out in their innate knack for turning out infectious choral passage.  But while some bands jump the gun when getting to the punch line, Maker plants seeds early, harvesting their potential only when in full bloom.  For instance, opener and title track “Mirrors” teases their audience with the tagline “you’ll never forgive me for all the things I’ve done, take this as my confession…” before dropping back into the calculated give-and-take of speed meets reserve that later explodes into the lengthy and satisfying payoff that is the final bridge and choral climax.  Tracks like “Basement Song” invigorate the formula with heightened layers of gang styled “woahs” that are always easy to fall victim to.

The band plays to their strengths with this basic format but never hesitates to experiment during the album’s ten-song run.  “Earthquakes” settles on a fragile vocal gully that establishes early on just how talented the band is at communicating emotionalism.  Likewise, eight songs in the band throw a quick two-minute acoustic curveball, disrupting the album just enough to fortify the album’s final stretch.  Balance is key, andMirrors delivers a well-weighted package that swings the pendulum in both extremes.

I don’t normally take such a quick liking to Maker’s family of pop-punk, but Mirrors shattered my expectations.  The album succeeds on many levels, combining a variety of styles that never settle from their state of sonic evolution.  Fans of pop-punk looking for something to last beyond an initial burst of energy should take note.