Review / 200 Words Or Less
The Last Car in Alaska
Comfort

Independent (2006) Matt

The Last Car in Alaska – Comfort cover artwork
The Last Car in Alaska – Comfort — Independent, 2006

South Carolina trio The Last Car in Alaska play a sort of melodic emo-core that must be pretty popular with the Warped Tour audience they've played to. Some of it sounds pretty amateur in parts (mixing on the first track, "I Like You Man... You're Crazy", features some strange contrasts in vocal volume, and the whole EP has vocals that often sound like they're totally separate from the music) but since these guys seem to have done this solely off their own backs, they do earn some props.

Track two sounds like old At The Drive-In before the vocals come in, and features possibly the most annoying backing vocals I have ever heard in the form of the "Take me home! Take me home!" refrain.

The first few tracks display the most energy here, whereas the latter half of this six-track EP slows things down, with one track telling the grim tale of being a murder suspect. The final track is the ubiquitous acoustic song, complete with wannabe-Hot Water Music gruff vocals. It definitely sounds like these guys have heart and are really into what they're doing, but they need to develop somewhat to escape the clichés and crappiness of the genre.

5.0 / 10Matt • September 3, 2007

The Last Car in Alaska – Comfort cover artwork
The Last Car in Alaska – Comfort — Independent, 2006

Recently-posted album reviews

Pallette Knife

Keyframe
Take This To Heart Records (2026)

There’s a fine line between being a quirky emo band with scene references and something that actually sticks. On Keyframe, Columbus trio Palette Knife don’t just flirt with that line but sharpen it, name it after a Final Fantasy item, and build ten huge choruses around it. The band’s self-described “Nerd-Core-Mid-West-Emo” tag could easily read like a gimmick, but this … Read more

The Downstrokes

The Furious Hours
Independent (2026)

There is a specific kind of sultry, salty sweat that only happens in a room with low ceilings and a tube amp screaming a warm hum for forgiveness. You can smell the lingering kerosene and the stale beer on The Downstrokes’ latest LP, The Furious Hours, before the needle even hits the groove. It’s the sound of a band that … Read more

The Arrivals

Payload
Recess (2026)

It's been a short lifetime since the last Arrivals record, Volatile Molotov, but in many ways the new Payload picks up exactly where the last one left off. It straddles the mid-tempo punk spectrum while drawing influence from seemingly all realms of the rock 'n' roll cannon. I'd state that mod, power-pop, Brit Invasion, and even R&B are some of … Read more