Straight Line Stitch: Transparency review

Ladies and gentlemen, after a nearly four-year wait, Straight Line Stitch have made their return. Well, they never really went anywhere, but they’re back with a new label home in Pavement and a new record in Transparency– one that is sure to kick your ass. Being the follow-up to The Fight Of Our Lives, Straight Line Stitch had a lot to live up to with Transparency and they’ve pulled it off more than well here. Although it’s an EP, don’t let that fool you. It’s one hell of a record and one that shows the maturity, growth and attitude Straight Line Stitch are truly capable of. While its predecessor was loaded with beautiful ballads as well as furious adrenaline-filled anthems, Transparency is pretty much just a kick in the nuts from start to finish. The exception would be “Out Of Body,” which is as alluring and hypnotizing and “Cold Front” or “Ashes in the Wind” from The Fight Of Our Lives and shows the other side of singer Alexis Brown’s vocals. The EP opens with “Out Of the Shadows,” an intro that’s as haunting as it is beautiful before blasting you with “Dark Matter,” which is aggressive from the very beginning- not to mention one of the heaviest and most ferocious screams yet from Brown. Each song flows so well into the next that you almost don’t notice the songs are changing. “Face of God” keeps it going before “Wilderness” and “Human Bondage” finish off the EP with flawless execution. In the end, the emotion behind the lyrics show through perfectly- hence the album title. This is the perfect way for Straight Line Stitch to make their return and mark their debut for Pavement. Joining an already-stellar roster of artists, Straight Line Stitch have cemented themselves as possibly the strongest band on Pavement’s roster. Rating: 9/10 -Reggie Edwards