History Of...

While everyone else in the pop-punk scene was getting old and singing faux R&B, History Of... was just getting better. With six years and plenty of rough demos under its belt, the band emerged in 2010 with a clear vision and a clearer sound, thanks in no small part to the mixing and mastering work of Saosin's Beau Burchell. This, the act's proper full-length debut, is a diverse and rewarding entry in a much-maligned genre. Rolling melodies, spider-webbing guitar and aching vocals give it a depth that's lacking in many of its blunt-force peers. Much more prog than pop, the band builds a looming, apocalyptic mood over eleven tracks and nearly an hour of run time. Recent transplants from Durango to Denver, History Of... should soon find a place in the scene.