Local Review: Shine Bright – Lantern

Shine Bright
Lantern

High Vibe Recording
Street: 09.15
Shine Bright = Underoath + I The Mighty

Shine Bright are freshly reminiscent of an age of hardcore that I think we all have a soft spot for. As such a short album, lasting just over 15 minutes, Lantern displays a wonderful amount of technical flair. Each song is amusingly different from the others, which leads me to believe that a great amount of time and energy was taken to perfect them individually. The detail is superb. No tool is overused, whether it be the triplets during the pre-choruses in “Moira” or the faint vocal harmonies throughout “Should Have Left.” “Moira” is a very 2006-’09 metalcore tune—think of the time before breakdowns and 808s became everyone’s ace cards. This song would be playing right after The Almost’s “Say it Sooner” on VH1 in the morning.

The poppiest song from the album, “Should Have Left,” comes straight in with a familiar-but-new achy feeling to it, a nostalgic sing-along song that is catchy and grows on you after repeated listens. “Line in the Sand” is an ambient musical interlude as well as the second track. In chronological order, this was the most inquisitive of all, for it suggests that Shine Bright have more to offer than superficial, aggressive bursts of energy in the form of four-minute songs, as one may assume at first glance. “Line in The Sand” completely fulfills the sense that Shine Bright are marketable and game-changing. I very easily could see this album performed in its entirety, with more ambient moods throughout the atmosphere to catch you and pull you in for the whole experience. I’m usually out for the bands making the most atypical noise, but I actually quite admire how these boys picked a well-known theme and danced with it ambitiously. Shine Bright really found their niche, and I’m excited to see what they release next. –Xena Jade