The Rumor

Mesa, AZ's Before Braille is steeped in the ethos of emo. Like fellow Arizonans Jimmy Eat World, Before Braille wraps up soul-bearing lyrics of love and loss in earnest melodies and tight, clean instrumentation. The Rumor, their full-length debut, tempers the hard-hitting guitars of "The Spanish Dagger" and "Goodnight Quiet Noise" with the usual quiet-loud dynamics and some nice touches of piano and acoustic guitar towards the end of a few songs. For example, the subdued "After Arguments" features an accompanying female vocal and a turn of melody that suggests latter-day Get Up Kids. While Before Braille's instrumentation throughout The Rumor is accomplished without being particularly memorable, it's the band's attention to harmony and actual, real singing that stands out. At the same time, it was wise of the group to temper its harmonized vocals, aggressive melodic shifts, and no less than three guitarists with more subtle instruments. After all, the same stylistic elements that emo groups adhere to can also make the music a bit overwrought or excessive. With The Rumor, Before Braille has found a comfortable middle ground that will help appeal to both the genre's core audience, and newcomers to the emo fold.