Small Towns Burn a Little Slower: So Begins The Test Of A Man

Small Towns Burn a Little Slower: So Begins The Test Of A Man Small Towns Burn a Little Slower seems to be the classic tale of the short lifespan of modern music. The band formed in 2002 and announced in Nov 2007 they would be breaking up in February of 2008. Now that it is February of 2008, sure enough they've played their last shows and the release their swan song So Begins The Test Of A Man. They say you can never judge a book by its cover, but you can usually judge a band by its name. Authors hardly ever have a say in their book covers, but bands choose their name. So if Slow Towns Burn a Little Slower sounds like a band that's forged in the pop-emo explosion of 2002, damnit you're right. Their sound is a hodgepodge of Saves the Day meets U2 with a Motion City Soundtrack flare and the Taking Back Sunday confusing song titles. Song titles include "Meth is the New America", "Spittin' Truths", and my person favorite "Help! There's a Con Artist Under My Bed!". Despite all the cliches the band falls in to, there is something remotely likable about them. They obviously hold a great ability to write catchy hooks. This is immediately apparent in the first two songs on the album "The Giver" and "Rx Drive" both of which would have fit right in on Drive Thru or Victory Records catalogs in the early to mid 2000s. Unfortunately, their swan song ends up sounding a little more like a swan dive. "Rooftops Won't Come to You" is almost a blatant "Where the Streets Have No Name" rip off and the album has the token acoustic ballad in "Meth is the New America". The album has all the pitfalls but yet it brings me back to my high school days. In some ways the album feels very retro to me, even though it is indulging something that was popular 3-6 years ago. I can't help but enjoy part of the album if not fully embrace it. Rating: 5.8/10 MP3: Small Towns Burn a Little Slower "Rx Drive"