The Transit War - Miss Your Face
With Miss Your Face, The Transit War have lifted themselves from a mere background contender to at a lightweight slugger in the crowded indie rock circuit.
The boys of The Transit War have definitely come a long way in the last few years. They first found a medium with their flawed but passing ’02 self-titled EP, then landed on a couple of random indie mix tapes and samplers from the exposure. Once nothing really panned, they set out in 2004 to put together their modestly successful, potential-filled EP Ah Discordia! This one shined, especially with opening track “We’re Sleeping Better Now;” which at least caught you with a hook to pull you in, and let you know that—yes—when this band hits it just right, they hit it well.
Flash forward two years, and they have a new home at indie label Orange Peal Records. With the new label home also came the opportunity to record Miss Your Face; the band’s first, technical full-length album. So, the question stands, can the band that made a small splash with a fairly jaunty EP, and some cameos on samplers, carry it over for a full records worth of material?
The answer, I’m happy to say, is most definitely yes. What The Transit War have done here on Miss Your Face is put together a longer, stronger, more mature version of what they did on their Ah Discordia! EP. The notable difference obviously being that they’re finally making good on the potential they showcased so haphazardly two years ago. Miss Your Face opens quite strongly with the punchy, catchy “Radar;” with easily digestible hooks, and churning guitars. On “Chutes and Lasers,” The Transit War can’t help but remind me quite a bit of mid-‘90’s indie demigods Sponge—Rotting Piñata-era, to be precise. “Desiree, Safe!” has that easy-going, indie-pop feel to it. Album closer “Safety In the Air” also shines quite strongly; relying on acoustic instrumentation, giving the track an indie-tinged, Wallflowers feel.
With Miss Your Face, The Transit War have accomplished to lift themselves from a mere background contender to at least a lightweight slugger, in the overly crowded indie rock boxing circuit. They’re not the best; at least not yet, but they do make a stand that they have enough talent that they could, potentially, be fighting in that grand match an album or two down the road. On it’s own two feet, and at its barest essentials, this is an excellent indie rock record; coming from an excellent, up-and-coming indie rock band. It’s unabashed, unpretentious, and greatly enjoyable. What else could you ask for?
(Orange Peal Records)