There aren't that many guitar bands that can incorporate elements of synth pop without starting to sound like a synth pop band, and even fewer that can incorporate elements of dubwise reggae without starting to sound like a wannabe reggae band. But
the Exit has done the seemingly impossible -- taken familiar elements and combined them into something that's not so much unique as uniquely personal and smart, and yet immediately accessible. Even when the band's influences are less than fully digested ("Back to the Rebels" sounds like
Counting Crows doing a cover version of "Watching the Detectives"), the result feels more like a creative collage than a derivative cut-and-paste. One of the things that makes this album so satisfying is the way it builds slowly to its climax, a gorgeous and emotionally powerful song called "So Leave Then," on which a slightly dislocated rhythm supports a heart-on-the-sleeve melody and unabashedly immediate three-chord guitar (and even a few bars of make-believe steel drum). It's hard to put a finger on what makes this album so special, but you'll get it when you hear it. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson