Review Summary: The Carrier get crushed under the weight of expectations.
It’s unfair, really. Longevity wise, Boston hardcore act The Carrier have yet to carve out their own legacy in the burgeoning scene, yet after merely a self-titled 7”, a debut full-length and a following EP, this five year old band are already considered legends in the modern hardcore scene; mostly for very good reasons. While their first LP ‘One Year Later’ was an acceptable and interesting take to the already impressive Deathwish roster, it wasn’t until their three song EP ‘No Love Can Save Me’ that people really started to put The Carrier on an incredibly high pedestal. No doubt, ‘No Love Can Save Me’ was highly praised for its bursting emotion, its driving guitar chords and varying drum patterns, but it makes The Carrier’s sophomore album ‘Blind To What Is Right’ just as hard in overcoming the expectations laid upon them to craft an equally, but most importantly, a better album that isn’t merely just an extended play on the ears but a full length; fairly a nigh impossible task if you ask me. Setting the bar so high for a band that is still young and blossoming could be considered unfair and uncalled for by some, but to others it is the result of bursting potential. Is ‘Blind To What Is Right’ is an answer to those expectations or a band maturing on their own, at their pace, and crafting their sound how they wish?
It is very easy to tell that ‘Blind To What Is Right’ is the natural progression of The Carrier as a band. This is instantly felt on their opening eponymous track, as it features exactly what fans have come to expect from The Carrier; frentic drum work, driving bass lines and full, melodic guitar chords carry the album from song to song. Improvements from their debut ‘One Year Later’ are apparent; ‘Blind To What Is Right’ carries a renewed sense of desperation and angst that was sometimes lacking in their debut. Vocalist Anthony has matured quite a bit as well and it becomes apparent in his better-rounded and fuller screams of pain and love lost that made ‘One Year Later’ cringe worthy at parts. But I digress. The main point of improvement that can be felt on ‘Blind To What Is Right’ is the overall improvement of The Carrier in their chemistry as a band together. Every member feels more comfortable with each other, more tightly as a group and on key, with each member complimenting each other more than most bands in the scene. ‘Wash Away Me Sins’ and ‘Hollow Pain’ featuring stellar instrumental work that shows The Carrier in their fullest; unafraid to experiment with their sound, even if the result is lackluster at times. But perhaps the greatest highlight to ‘Blind To What Is Right’ is the two final tracks; the instrumental track ‘Into Darkness’ and closing track ‘All That’s Left To See’. Both tracks are clearly the darkest, most angst ridden tracks in The Carriers short discography, featuring naturally built, minor guitar chords, and a stellar performance from the vocal department.
However, just because ‘Blind To What Is Right’ might be the natural sonic predecessor to ‘One Year Later’, it simply isn’t enough to satisfy the expectations fans have thrown upon The Carrier. Maybe ‘No Love Can Save Me’ was an enigma, a one time off-shoot, that just happened to strike a particular chord in the hardcore audience, but ‘Blind To What Is Right’ suffers from a sense of wanting more in the end. This isn’t your typical thirst for more to come in the future, but a feeling of ‘wait, that’s it?’ sensation laces throughout the entire album. ‘Blind To What Is Right’, while only nine tracks in length, blazes through with little to catch the ear until maybe the final two tracks, as nothing is as mind blowing as previous songs such as ‘No. 51’ or ‘Epilogue: Forgiveness’. Just the shear length, even at less than thirty minutes, makes ‘Blind To What Is Right’ somewhat of a dull task to listen to from start to finish. While the emotion is still present and apparent throughout the entire album, there just isn’t the ‘hook’ factor that made ‘No Love Can Save Me’ such an amazing release.
But this isn’t a fault of any type as a result of the band; no, this is a fault from us, the fans. It seems that while we may have hyped The Carrier to impossibly high standards, The Carrier are still content with them growing naturally as a band, not simply become freaks of nature and skyrocket to the top of the scene. It still must be put into perspective that 'Blind To What Is Right' is still only the second album from a still new, up and coming band that are still experimenting their sound, while still retaining the elements that make them what they are as a band. No, ‘Blind To What Is Right’ is not the proverbial ‘sophomore slump’ that it might be for some, it is The Carrier becoming crushed by the weight of expectations that we, the fans, have put on them. 2010 was a year for the new and upcoming bands in hardcore, it’s nearly undeniable. With the dawn of the New Year, The Carrier has set the bar and it’s a high one at that. While not an impossible for others to high-jump over, ‘Blind To What Is Right’ is still an album that will prove challenging to one up for other hardcore bands thinking of releasing new material in this year. So for this reason alone, ‘Blind To What Is Right’ stands as an exceptional album that may disappoint those who were hoping for a classical masterpiece but prove more than capable enough for those who accept the fact that The Carrier are still young and growing as a band.
