Brooklyn group
Hiretsukan are filled with angst, rage, and screams from lead singer Michelle Proffit on "Circling Boy," but with the melody to carry it off without any major problems à la
Alexisonfire. While "screamo" isn't for everyone, Proffit has the ability to make it come off without any sort of shock value. The blood-curdling wails give way to fine guitar work by
Dave Sanders while the rhythm section of drummer Justin Williams and bassist Derek Wimble is rock-solid. "Manual Function" has more urgency within it as the singer is reaching deep down to mesh against the music, sometimes delivering one word per usual lyric line.
Hiretsukan find the right balance of soft and hard during the "emo"-centric "Song for Wilhelmina Vautrin," which changes on a dime. The song, inspired by a woman who saved thousands of lives in China during the Japanese invasion of Nanking in 1937, is one of the stronger on the record. Perhaps the highlight is the banshee-like wails on the mid-tempo but still frantic "Her Article." Some of the music stands out despite Proffit's wails at times, including a meaty and winding "Wellwisher" as well as the airtight "Hauling Sharp," which takes on a high-tempo punk blueprint near its homestretch. The one breather for Proffit is the minimal, hushed indie rock of "19 Year Barrier," whose tension brims underneath the song's skin before breaking out. After listening to the take-no-prisoners aura of "Tight Not Touching," the group sounds like it's gone about as far as it can go in the genre. ~ Jason MacNeil