It’s interesting that Sundown calls this record Keep Moving because, in many ways, it feels stuck in 2005. It’s a mix of melodic and chugging hardcore, with dual vocalists and two very different styles to breathe some extra life into it the format.
At its best, Keep Moving recalls Avail while, at its worst, I’m brought back to those screamo bands with one tough guy singer and another “emotive-type” vocalist. Most of this record falls somewhere in between those two descriptions and it neither hits the heights of Avail nor the lows of screamo. It has some real highlights, beginning with the opener “Don’t Ask Me,” with shouted, guttural vocals over brighter-tone guitars that waver between hardcore and post-hardcore like Hot Water Music. It has a sensitive side, but it’s much heavier overall.
In “Searching” we find some emphatic and powerful group vocals with that same post-hardcore styling. “Peter Weller” balances the emotive middle point between Avail and screamo well and is a good sample for somebody needing a quick taste of the band, though it also highlights my personal distaste for that singing style, which seems to interrupt the flow rather than complement it. Musically, “Peter Willer” is one of the standouts on Keep Moving. The title track is a little crunchier, but also jumps out in the middle of the album, utilizing a little more groove for depth. A full record of this sound would be too much, but it’s a nice change of pace. Later, the intro of “The Price” is really strong too, bringing a burst of fresh energy and peppy drums that establish a heavy core before we settle into sing-song melodic hardcore for the duration.
“The Price” is kind of a metaphor for my feelings on this record. It has really bright, shining moments that get your hopes up. But ultimately, it gets bogged down and loses momentum throughout. Two things bring it down in particular. One is that it’s not bringing anything new to the table. Fans of the bands named above will enjoy the general sound, but they’ve heard it before too. Second, I just can’t get into either of the vocalists.
