We Are The Fury, Infinite Jest

For a band that dubs itself “The Fury,” there’s not much these guys seem upset about on their five-song EP, Infinite Jest. Maybe they’re broken up a bit about a lost love (“I’m tired of wasting words that keep me locked inside / I want to say how much your love has pushed me away; maybe it’s better this way,” from “Better Off This Way”), or perhaps it’s the ever-popular politics that gets to them (“You want to talk about indecision? / Just take a look at all the Seminole lies / We are the product, misinformation, a generation milked from a Colombian high” — from “Nation, Forgive Us”). Whichever, the lyrics may be meaningful, but they ring hollow when matched with the same pseudo-aggressive pop-punk peddled by nearly every other pseudo-aggressive pop-punk band making music today.

While their sound may play well to the Take Action Tour crowd, more discerning listeners will hear much of Infinite Jest for what it is: derivative, radio-friendly alt-rock that sounds similar to a dozen other bands currently raiding the airwaves. The riffs are there, and the band undoubtedly has the talent to put on a great live show. But for a band to truly stand out, it needs to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. Hopefully the band’s eventual full-length shows a bit more maturity and progression.