After releasing their brightly fun and danceable third album Hell Is What You Make It, one of
Breathe Carolina's co-founders (and co-vocalists), Kyle Even, left the band. The subtraction of Even's gruff and growling vocals is a big factor in sound of their fourth album,
Savages, with the remaining member
David Schmitt now in control. Their previous albums stuck pretty close to a basic feather-light emo-pop template, with lots of sugary hooks and spit-shined electronics. Sort of like
Jimmy Eat World mixed with
Daft Punk, with an emo Archie singing lead. Silly as it might sound, the formula works really well for the band. There are some good examples of that here, like the fizzy "Bang It Out," the synth-heavy "Collide," and the sweet "Shadows," to name a few. A couple of the tracks even take the sound they had sorted out before and do some interesting updates, like the stuttering rocker "Bury Me" that leads off the album with a swift kick of delightful pop. ~ Tim Sendra