Some call it emo, some call it post punk, some call it indie, some call it punkrock, some hate it, some love it, some don’t care. But if it’s good, it’s well worth listening to. No matter what you call it. Fuck style names, anyway. It’s the music that counts, not the name you assign to it. This is Count The Stars, a new release from Victory Records, and unless you`ve been living under a rock you kinda know what to expect these days. Yes, emo, post punk, indie, punkrock. Brought to us by a young talented, assertive band. Fine, catchy songs, more structured than a lot of bands in the (here we go again), emo, post punk, indie, punk rock genre. A little like Jimmy Eat World. The double vocals are kept to a minimum and overall they keep it pretty neat and clean. It works very fine, however, and it results in numerous catchy songs, truck loads of energy and striking harmonies, turning Never Be Taken Alive into a very pleasant album to listen to. You know what I love the most? The fact that talented bands don’t come from Los Angeles, New York City or Seattle anymore.

These days they come from places like Albany. Guys and girls like you and me who pick up instruments and write fine songs. It almost feels as if I know them personally. It’s as if every little town in the United States has its own emo, post punk, indie punkrock band/scene, making it all the more difficult for any band to be original or to be different from the masses. In itself this doesn’t have to be a problem. As long as you write decent songs, play them well and make sure you tour and tour and tour. Basically stuff yourself down our throats as much as you can. `Cause if it works for Kelly *&^%^* Osbourne, it should definitely work for bands like Count The Stars. Oh, and don’t give me that ‘it all sounds the same’ crap. The enthusiasm displayed by Count The Stars is contaminating, so even if the songs did sound like crap, the band would make you believe they didn’t. That’s worth something. Indeed; 8 points!