If Circa Survive’s ghostly melodies and vocals came down to earth and paired with Coheed and Cambria, then took on some traces of emo and post-hardcore, the result would be Scarlett Classic’s No Such Thing as Help.
After recording and mixing the six-song EP at Moose Lodge Studios then The Sound Kitchen (both Nashville-based studios), the Murfreesboro progressive rock quartet released the album filled with electrically charged riffs, wavering vocals and sonic inflections.
Meriting the most attention are guitar parts, which rip and stumble, elevating the tone of the song and then jerking it down. Lyrics never prattle on but weave a story out of each track; disappointingly, they’re sung in a vocal style that has room to grow. Bob Baxter’s and Josh Jernigan’s voices fall artfully over the melodies, but unless they develop into something more original and poignant or at least stronger, it’s easy to toss the album into a bin of look-alikes.
Not to say that No Such Thing as Help is not a bold and concise endeavor. Scarlett Classic may be a young band, but they’re mature enough to choose a genre and stick with it for the length of an EP at least. Harder riffs stammer between wiry chords, and at times, so many inflections and rhythmic changes become dizzyingly erratic to the point of sounding like video game music, but it’s good for listeners looking to transition towards a heavier sound.