Antifreeze

The Search For Something More (Kung Fu)
by Lauren Bussard

With their second album, these four boys from Wisconsin have managed to catapult themselves out of the pop-punk bin and straight into territory where they effortlessly blend punk, emo, pop, and straight-up rock. On The Search for Something More, Antifreeze writes songs that are catchy, but also beautiful and inventive. Every band insists that each song on their album is a distinct and different treat, but when Antifreeze says it, it’s actually true. The voices of dual vocalists Tim Crowley and Jon Tyler mix together uniquely in every song; “Birthday Weekend” is reminiscent of a smooth and emotional Get Up Kids song, and “Tell Me” has gruff vocals and a fast punk-rock beat. On other tracks, they break out the drum machine and top it off with a sweet pop-punk riff.

On every song, it’s obvious that their style has matured. Their songs have a depth of feeling that’s missing in a lot of pop-punk – fun as it may be – and Antifreeze avoids lyrics with the clichéd rhyming pattern that also marks most simplistic poppy-music. I guess it’s a lot harder to rhyme complex thoughts…
(PO Box 38009 Hollywood, CA 90038)