Arizona modern rock quintet
Fivespeed rely on a subtle blend of punk-pop and alternative metal to deliver their not-so-subtle songs about angst. These sonically adept veterans of the Van's Warped Tour are solid players with fleeting bits of brilliance that hint at untapped compositional gifts, but it would be hard to pick them out of a lineup with
the Get Up Kids,
Trapt, or
Chevelle. Vocalist Jared Woosley tries to elevate some of the better numbers ("Fair Trade," "Blame It on You," "Vegas") above their formulaic trappings, but this major-label debut just reeks of money, computers, and compromise. ~ James Christopher Monger