Following the mostly acoustic Kevin Kolankowski album,
the Miracle of 86 plug in for their second full-length. They straddle the fence of emo ("Dance Dance Revolution"), indie rock ("Every Famous Last Word"), and pop-punk ("Keep on Charging the Enemy Until There Is No More Life"). But there also seems to be a country influence seeping in, most apparent on "Sleep All Damn Day," which injects a country-ish melody with a healthy dose of emo. A couple tracks from the previous EP are revised: "Your Quicksilver Moment" and "I Think You Meant to Say No" are made fuller here.
Kevin Devine's vocals aren't quite as tortured as his solo work, though they are still fervent, as he wails much like early
Goo Goo Dolls. Guitarist Mike Robertson gets the mic on "Southern State," a noteworthy rocker which ends up sounding like a tame
Jawbreaker. And that's a good thing. ~ Kenyon Hopkin