Album Review: At the Spine - Vita

Originally published in Soundcheck Magazine (7/5/08)

At the Spine
Vita
Global Seepej
Available July 29

When a band goes out of their way to assure its listeners that their music does not imitate other artists - as At the Spine does on their official site - it usually means you can expect the musicians to do exactly that. These punk revivalists manage to stay true to their word for most of their latest release, Vita, though they experience some bumps and bruises and songs that fall flat along the way. However, singer Mike Toschi’s lyrical politicking always goes straight for the jugular (think Minutemen meet the Nightwatchman), specializing in a literal bluntness that recalls the good old days of protest rock when all you had to say was “give peace a chance.” Musically, the album also contains a few striking standouts, like the sarcastic trot of “Primrose Hill” and the explosive muscle of “Transylvania”. Vita is a somewhat uneven disk, but its highlights suggest a great deal of promise for these sermonizing Seattle rockers.

-Andy Pareti