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Brand New History is a multidimensional outing that melds modern, classic, and alternative rock elements into a 12-song tour de force that at times is reminiscent of
INXS,
BTO,
Nine Inch Nails, and the
Cult (NIN's Chris Vrenna and the Cult's Billy Duffy guest here). Though
Brand New History's musical salutes are palpable, Trevor Hurst delivers his vocals with a distinctive, soulful panache and there's a cohesiveness and originality to the band's soaring compositions, most notably the bold midtempo rocker "Make It Right." The vibrant, danceable "Flamethrower" contrasts nicely with the darkly aggressive "Trash" and, while the spooky syncopation of "By the Riverside" and lilting,
Sugar Ray-ish "May I Go" are far from original, there's no denying their power. Programming, percussion, and the production savvy of Bob Rock (
Metallica, the Cult) and John Travis (
Kid Rock) add to the appeal of this excellent chapter in Econoline Crush's history book.
--Katherine Turman