Black Lines

Sometimes emo’s impassioned yelps do more to distract than connect. Maybe that’s why Mayday Parade back off them a bit on <i>Black Lines</i>. Breakup song “Letting Go” is a softly hewn acoustic rock ballad—pretty much the most emo thing a pop-punk combo could dream of doing. "Look Up and See Infinity" and “Narrow” are equally subdued—the latter all picked chords and gentle vocals except for its climactic ending. Sure, there are still fiery rockers here, but given some new understated context, the band's frailty seems even more genuine.