Midtown / Recover / Blueline Medic / Silent*Corporation – New.Old.Rare.

There is only one word to describe this album, the songs, the sound, the thought of it all and that one word is: genius. Pure genius. Fueled By Ramen Records have combine four extremely talented bands on this one CD. Each band donating one new song, one old song and then a rare one (hence the title of the album). The four bands on it are: Blueline Medic, Midtown, Recover, Silent*Corporation.

Blueline Medic
Blueline Medic opens up the album with their version of Precious Things (originally done by Tori Amos). They also donate tracks 5 and 9, Cathedral and They’ll Let You Know. This band is simply amazing. I was so surprised by them, they have hard heavy tunes like Finch but without as much screaming. After hearing these 3 songs by them, I just can’t wait for April 22, 2003 when their new full length album drops (called Text Bomb). My favorite of the 3 songs that they added to this compilation is the first, Precious Things. They come in with a great drum beat, then slow it down with a bass riff. The vocals come in softly and then the chorus comes in. Getting louder and more powerful for it, the chorus is amazing, nice and loud and steady, extremely powerful. Around the 3 minute mark, it all stops except for a steady drum beat and constant vocals. Nice and steady intill the the chorus comes blasting in for one more final shot. Overall, I love this song and it is my favorite Blueline Medic song (Cathedral only being a bit behind)., and favorite track on the whole album. It definitely makes you want to listen to the album some more, and hear more from this talented up and coming band.

Midtown
Midtown is the second band to appear on this album, contributing tracks 2, 6 and 10, Become What You Hate, Easy Way Out and Get It Together (Acoustic). Midtown are a band well know for their pet protecting mentality and their poppy, catchy pop-punk songs. And these are no exception to their image. My favorite song of the three is the rare song, Get It Together (acoustic). Personally, I really liked the original version, but this acoustic one is way more powerful. It, of course, still has the catchy vocals, but with a way better sound this time. It is a song just about getting past hard times by sticking together. A really impressive song.

Recover
The 3rd band in this album is Recover. They supply us with tracks 3, 7 and 11, entitled: Fracture, Not A Word and Unnatural. Recover are a band different from the other 3 on this album, almost exactly opposite of some of them. This is a hardcore band that are amazing, if you are a fan of bands like Finch, The Used, Thrice or Thursday then you will love these guys. Combining majestic rhythms with powerful vocals and mixes of screams, this is a band you wont soon forget. Not A Word is the standout track by Recover on New.Old.Rare. It starts off with a major mix of bass and then enters the drums an incredible 25 second intro. The vocals are a mix of yelling vocals and singing, making a elaborate sound unlikely to soon forget. Around a minute into it, it slows down to an fantastic tune, for around 30 secs, it is just an amazing display of musical talent. Two hard drum strikes later, and the vocals are back again. This song is fantastic, just like most of the album.

Silent*Corporation
This is the final band in the slot of four, filling in tracks 4, 8 and 12 with the songs Don’t Look Back, Trapped In Me and New Direction. The latter of the 3 is a live song, and let me tell, they sound exactly the same as the recording, which means their live shows would be amazing. This is another pop-punk band, somewhat like Midtown. Trapped In Me is the stand out track this time. It is a fast paced pop-punk song with some good vocals and guitar riffs. In the middle it slows down for an amazing bass riff. It is a good song, but not as good as the other 3 that I have told you about.

Overall, this is a fantastic compilation. With 4 great bands and 12 great songs, I give this album a rating of 90%. Get it if you see it in the store.