The Exies never were anything but a grunge band living in a post-grunge land, recycling
Nirvana and
Stone Temple Pilots to their heart's content. There's nothing unexpected on their fourth full-length, 2007's
Modern Way of Living with the Truth, nothing that couldn't have fit on their other three albums -- and it's all something that would have felt at home on the radio in 1994. But just because this style of heavy grunge is out of fashion doesn't mean that the Exies do it badly, and there are times when they nail the sound, if not the intent, of
Nirvana and
Stone Temple Pilots, who remain the two biggest influences on the band. On "Lay Your Money Down" they create a dead ringer for the Seattle trio and on "A Fear of Being Alone" they capture the murky neo-psychedelic hooks of
STP, and these are the best moments on the record because they're powered by big hooks, both in the guitars and in the vocals. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine