There's not much to separate
Waterdown from other
Dag Nasty/
Sunny Day Real Estate-influenced hardcore bands. Some inventiveness is present -- the
All-ish "Round Two" is downright pretty, "The One Thing," with its huge chorus, is an alt-radio smash waiting to happen, and the wedding of quirky pop and emo-metal on "Not Today" is no doubt unique. Overall though, one could pick up releases by labelmates
Thursday and
Reach the Sky and get the same sort of sensitive-boy-with-a-crunchy-guitar type record. For listeners who can't get enough of that style, this release is solid and won't disappoint; others who have grown weary of that sound may wish to steer clear. ~ Matthew Kantor