With a myspace blurb that proudly claims the band are "Sick with a scene rife with copycat bands", you might have to stifle a giggle after pressing play, as this record is post-hardcore, and exactly how you know it. However, it's actually incredibly likeable – so you can think of your own 'Perfect Crime' puns while we tell you about Everything Else Can Wait.

As a début it's startlingly strong; the band sounding confident and assured, and we expect that's as much them as it is the quality production of Pete Miles, who's track record includes The King Blues, The Steal and RM faves Crazy Arm. Taking that tried and tested method of combining sweet singing and throat-lacerating screams with guitars in a similar vein of melody/ouch-stop-kicking-me-in-the-face heaviness, they bring the Funeral For A Friend effect in the 'better' way – i.e. tracks like 'A Priest & A Proposition' are far more 'influenced by' than simply 'sound like'. Opener 'Hailstones' is an excellent example of the sound; brooding melody and distorted power with a simply unforgettable finish. Further tracks always sound familiar, but every time you begin to lose interest they pull out something surprising – usually thanks to being that little bit more dynamic than their contemporaries.

'Deliver Me Your Sins' rolls off a big groove before injecting some Thrice and Deftones and 'Luscinia' is an impressive, passionately delivered number built on a lush post-hardcore soundscape. Everything Else Can Wait is a strong first effort from this Cambridgeshire outfit, but may be just too derivative for some tastes. They have the right amount of ideas to keep themselves from being dismissed, though, and this is a first step along what could be an ever-improving path.

Rating: 3/5 by Phill May

Tracklisting

1. Hailstones
2. Hounded
3. Quietly Confident
4. Are We There?
5. Harlequin
6. Deliver Me Your Sins
7. Expand/Collapse
8. A Priest & A Proposition
9. Luscinia
10. Indigo

Further links

The Perfect Crime on Myspace

Myspace and homepage of Cambridgeshire post hardcore trio, The Perfect Crime