A big, emotionally naked, and relentlessly melodic blast of anthemic indie rock,
This Is Your Life
aims so far past the nosebleed seats that it may as well be bouncing off of a satellite. The third outing from the spirited Brooklyn-based trio formerly known as
We Are Augustines
,
TIYL
bristles with unabashed earnestness and raw,
Springsteen
-inspired colloquialisms. Fevered frontman
Billy McCarthy
, whose heated delivery invokes
Glen Hansard
Craig Finn
, and
Eric Bachmann
by way of
Neil Diamond
, is constantly imploring wild-eyed lovers to hold on, wait, fuck, fight, and get the hell out of Dodge, "Thunder Road" style. Recorded in Los Angeles and New Orleans with
Peter Katis
(
Frightened Rabbit
Interpol
), the ten-track set is a simmering cauldron of stadium rock cliches that more often than not, rises above its trappings by sheer force of will. ~ James Christopher Monger