Somewhere between
Save It and
Seeing Things Shades Apart learned all about melody. While the hardcore punk of
Save It has been retained, on this release the band demonstrates an ability to write genuine pop melodies and anthemic choruses that would make even
Rancid proud.
Seeing Things lacks an obvious standout track like Save It's "Tainted Love," but it more than compensates by being a much more interesting album. Fast guitar riffing is still the order of the day, but tracks like "Cathode," "Fearless," and "Turn It Back Around" show that
Shades Apart was maturing, evolving into one of the better punk acts of the late 1990s. ~ Jonathan Lewis