Posted on: June 19, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

While the first few tracks of “An Offer You Can’t Refuse” are fairly pedestrian, it is the ending of the disc’s second track “Death Do Us Part” that really show A Change of Pace’s worth as a band. The rapid-fire guitars present on the track, simple yet compelling really show listeners that the band is not all cute faces. “Every Second” is reminiscent of Simple Plan and Yellowcard, mixing a very memorable, Amber Pacific-like set of vocals with the lightest hints of violin to make something radio-friendly. As quickly as “Every Second” leaves listeners’ ears, the metal-tinged riffs of “Asleep At the Wheel” comes to prevalence.

The double-bass drum hits of Jonathan during the track, coupled with the screamed out, postcore lyrics on the track really veer “An Offer You Can’t Refuse” in an unexpected direction. Still, even with the harder edge of “Asleep At the Wheel”, the band is cognizant enough to couch it in a Davey Havok-like goth-punk style, in order to maintain the connection with their audience. There are some issues with “An Offer You Can’t Refuse”, specifically with tracks like “Know One Knows”. This track really falls into the same trap that much of A Static Lullaby’s last album (Faso Latido) fell into; the tracks may sound good but there is little in the way of meat for truly voracious listeners to digest.

The stretched-out vocals that take such a major part of “Know One Knows”, coupled with absolutely pedestrian guitar riffs, is poison to the momentum of this already-teetering disc. Tracks like “Home Where the Heart Is” bring a little luster to the disc, but even these tracks suffer seriously due to a lack of exciting, new material. Each of the disc’s eleven cuts mines the same area, and while some tracks succeed and others fail, the disc as a whole really tells the story of missed opportunity. The acoustic “A Farewell To A Friendship” tries to bring the classical gravitas to the track, but the vocals, instead of being memorable or otherwise endearing, tend to morph into one mumbled-out and indecipherable mass. A Change of Pace needs a change of pace to bring a fresher sound and more compelling arrangement to disc; as “An Offer You Can’t Refuse” is, it is almost like chewing paper. It may be satisfying therapy for some urge, but the fact is that paper does not taste, does not have any nutritional benefit, and really just mimics actual substantive food.

Top Tracks: Goodbye For Now, Asleep At The Wheel

Rating: 3.0/10

A Change Of Pace – An Offer You Can’t Refuse / 2005 Immortal / 11 Tracks / http://www.achangeofpacemusic.com / http://www.immortalrecords.com / Reviewed 31 July 2005

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