A young, earnest post-hardcore quartet from Long Island,
Latterman have a strongly worded commitment to lyrical positivity in response to the mewling solipsism of most emo bands. Besides dedicating their album to "anyone who recognizes and struggles against patriarchy, homophobia, racism, alienating wage labor, and any other of our world's many flaws," singer/lyricists Matt Cannino and Phil Douglas fill their lyrics with a good balance of strident calls for action and community mixed with only the barest minimum of smug finger-pointing. It's difficult to fault the sentiments of the lyrics, but unfortunately, the music they're set to is mostly unexceptional post-hardcore punk. There are a few musically stirring songs, particularly the soaring "Fear and Loathing on Long Island" and the sarcastically titled "Video Games and Fantasy Novels Are Fucking Awesome," which features a chiming, math rocky guitar figure and the album's strongest chorus, but too much of the album whizzes past in a shouted blur. Good intentions can only take a band so far. ~ Stewart Mason