Appleton, WI's
Antifreeze concocts upbeat commercial punk in the vein of
blink-182,
Jimmy Eat World, and former labelmates
the Ataris. And while it's hardly an innovative approach, it's an extremely likable one that this quartet executes well on album number two,
Search for Something More. Steered by tag-team songwriters/vocalists Tim Crowley and Jon Tyler, the group's forceful, lovelorn laments have more hooks than grandpa's tackle box. The gut-wrenching "Birthday Weekend" is a peppy, airwave-ready slice of heartbreak, as are the blistering confections "Pointless Emotion" and "Counting Sheep." But the hands-down highlight of
The Search for Something More is the mid-tempo, harmony-helped "Tell Me," which is as irresistible as a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Having two talented songwriters surely helps
Antifreeze to avoid the musical redundancies that plague many of its peers.
The Search for Something More's blend of punk, emo, and power pop may not qualify it as a genre-defining modern rock album, but it's a warming moment that is hard to leave alone. ~ John D. Luerssen