Always a Pleasure

The fact that Compound Red were even able to make an album after the departure of longtime lead singer John Lyman is a testament to their durability; new singer Greg Steffke has an earnest, choirboy-ish voice that pushes the band even closer to the emo sound espoused by their Milwaukee contemporaries and friends the Promise Ring. Nearly all of the songs have a melodic, mildly catchy lilt with the occasional harder {rock & roll} breakdown. Herein lies the album's biggest drawback: nearly all of the songs sound the same; the yearning, pleading guitars repeat over and over, and Dave Henderleiter continues his marshal, almost militaristic drumming style throughout. None of this is inherently bad; it's just repetitive. They clearly have the over-earnest emo/{math rock} thing down, but one wishes they could grow beyond that song structure. As a stand-alone album, Always a Pleasure serves as a sort of background music emo record; the songs don't leap out at you, but are pleasant and accomplished enough to float by in the background. Volcano Kisses is the notable exception: with a hushed verse and exploding chorus, Compound Red use their strengths to make one standout song to break up the homogeneity. ~ Ted Alvarez, All Music Guide