Crackjaw

Giants From The Stereo (I Scream)
by Scott Hefflon

I coulda sworn these guys did a CD with Fearless or something a few years back, but I must be thinking of someone else. Like Glasseater or something, maybe. Which is good, cuz Crackjaw is a lot less shitty than whatever band I’m confusing them with. While it’s melodic punk and screamo, the melodic punk sounds like Dave Smalley (look it up, kids… Dag Nasty, ALL, and a couple great records with Down By Law, before they milked it a decade too long), and the start/stop “dramatic” parts are less dumb than most. The guy can sing, and I’m thinking of a band called Seed, but no one remembers them, so that’s not a good reference. Put it this way: The band name-drops Silverchair, The Refused, Rush, and Canderia, in that order, and while at first you want to hitch a ride to Detroit to smack them, it starts to become clear after a few songs…

Giants From The Stereo is the band’s first full-length, and they’re very accomplished for not really having released shit before. Now signed to I Scream, who opened a U.S. office a year or so ago, which is perfect timing, because U.S. punk labels are sure sucking ass lately.
(www.iscreamrecords.com)