Artist: PMtoday
Album: In Medias Res
Genre: Rock
Label: Rise

Another Rise release already? You better believe it. Continuing the label’s seemingly endless stream of new music in 2010, Rise is prepping the release of PMtoday’s label debut as you read this. Due out April 6th, In Medias Res, is the exact OPPOSITE of everything you’ve come to expect from a release by Rise Records. Instead of another overly glossy release filled with Breakdowns and/or high-pitched wails from an idolized vocalist, PMtoday give us an introspective rock record that pulls out all stops lyrically and shakes everyone who hears it to their core.

Starting subtle, yet powerful with the lines, “When I was invented, back in 1987, I had dreams and things I wanted to be, I prayed because I was ignorant, I did not expect the world to look so different, from the eyes of 21 compared to 10,” PMtoday waste no time going for your heartstrings. “Thoughts in Transit,” the opener which I pulled that line from, moves along with the melancholy tone of Brand New’s Deja era and flows perfectly into the follow-up, “People are Machines.” It’s on this second track that we get the full sound of PMtoday and I think few would argue the obvious influence from Brand New, Circa Survive, and perhaps even Closure in Moscow. However, I will note that the band does make a solid effort to differentiate themselves enough to not blend in. “Goodbye, Blue Monday” kicks things into high gear with an energetic guitar part layered over more heart wrenching lyrics about growing up like, “I want to be left alone with my heart carved out of stone, nothing inspires me like it used to before, [and] I started questioning why all my prayers were ignored.” It may sound a bit emo to some, but with each member adding to the harmonies, its beautifully depressing to say the least.

As the record moves on, we find more and more standout lines to be heard and later scribbled online or on notebooks/folders. “Don’t Exist” finds the group dealing with love, relationships, and faith in a powerful way that not only includes the incredibly bold statement, “I thought we were making progress, but your body language contradicts, your monologue of pretext so I’ll admit, I’m losing interest and my love was a pretense, I’m tired of these failing attempts to balance myself between what you want and the opinions of everyone else,” also ends with an eruption of harmonies belting, “I’m losing all my best friends, we were all hypocrites.” If that doesn’t hit the nail on the head for each and every 20-something whose left home and questioned faith, nothing will. However, it’s the bouncy, yet intricate melodic flow of “Composing a Commercial Product” that really seals the record. While there aren’t as many epic single lines here, the track itself is a perfect combination of indie introspection and pop sensibility with a rock tinge that few will be able to deny especially as the group sings “we are all die, along with the dreams we had” during the bridge.

It’s not all about the lyrics on this release though. In all actuality, I would say instrumentation has just as strong, if not a stronger presence on In Medias Res. There’s this gigantic expanse of sonic fusion that fills the space between “Thoughts in Transit” and “A Convenient Literary Device for Ending Short Stories and Books” that I find hard pressed to believe anyone could look at and not find something to enjoy. While the record may begin on a somber and solemn note, tracks like “Progress is a Lemon,” “Sad World,” and “Composing a Commercial Product” boast some of the most impressive instrumentation we’ve found since the last Fall of Troy release. It’s a sonic journey you’ll want to experience again and again.

If you want an album that truly captures the current state of the human experience, look no further than In Medias Res. While the parts are incredible on their own, I find it hard to summarize how great they are when combined. PMtoday’s Rise debut is, so far, the most promising label debut we’ve heard this year. Everything from the depth and scope of the lyrics to the intricate, yet catchy song structures work together like the perfect machine to convey a message of hope in the eye of a storm of depression. The title itself refers to being in the middle of “things” and those things are the elements of life every teenager-adult deals with whether publicly or privately. Love, loss, the existence of God, hope, the afterlife, family, friends, work; it’s all here. This is heartfelt rock at its finest.

Score: 9.7/10
Review written by: James Shotwell

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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