Under the Silver of Machines

Album Review

By citing influences ranging from '80s glam to '90s grunge, heavy metal to hardcore, Orlando's Last Winter effectively cover all the bases for entry into the 2000s post-emo netherworld — without actually having to admit that they're really just playing good ol' pop-rock. Obviously, this state of affairs won't help them stand out from the competition in a decade of convoluted scenes and fast-expiring trends, but their quite natural (if not exactly astounding) songwriting instincts just might. However, even though almost every song on the band's second album, 2007's Under the Silver Machines, makes the grade when it comes to sculpted hooks and catchy melodies, it's hard to say whether they possess the sheer, anthemic qualities or unforgettable choruses that might command the hearts of legions of 15-year-olds. Anything is possible, though, and if indistinctive bands such as Bad English managed to play the "averages" capably enough to carve out their own small piece of the glam metal pie in their day, there's no reason to think that Last Winter couldn't do the same amid their generation's mainstream equivalent.