Artist: Transit
Album: Listen & Forgive
Genre: Pop Punk
Label: Rise Records

After obtaining worldwide commercial success, pop punk took the world by storm only to fall almost into oblivion after the dawn of the millennium. It wasn’t until recent years that a handful of bands rekindled the long lost flame needed to proclaim pop punks graceful return. Boston’s Transit was one act that came out of the threshold and quickly hurdled to the forefront of the movement after giving listeners a clear vision of the diverse musical territory they cover. Departing their early callous rock stage from This Will Not Define Us, to their critically acclaimed Keep This To Yourself  sound, these innovators made a drastic musical shift by balancing the pop punk and indie worlds with the release of Something Left Behind and the Promise Nothing EP’s.  By bridging the gap between 90’s emo-pop and ruthless punk rock they introduced a breath of fresh air to redefine a genre saturated by repetition and tastelessness. Transit is a band that stands for what music is all about, passion and innovation. They continue to progress release after release, leaving no two albums to sound the same. Their latest achievement, Listen & Forgive, offers another promise to a bright future within their already growing discography.

The album opens with, “You Can’t Miss It (It’s Everywhere)” easing the listener with passages of their trademark riffs while clashing heartfelt balladry and emotionally prolific lyrics. One-liners akin to, “With the best of intentions, I can’t forget how you took away the happiness from my life,” are trickled throughout every song. It’s quickly evident that Listen & Forgive is a breakup album as Transit set out to remind the world how cruel heartbreak can be. Vocalist Joe Boynton’s doesn’t shy away from real life issues as he unabashedly pours his heart about the hardships from lost love and nostalgia. His distinctive voice demands the attention of listeners as he leaves you feeling the words he painfully illustrates.

Musically, this album is simplistically soulful and instantly catchy enough to be circling in your head for days. Single, “Long Lost Friends,” exemplifies the sound we’ve come to know and love from recent releases with thumping drums, soaring choruses and charming verses while title track, “Listen & Forgive” is a fun, toe-tapping cheerful tune. Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump makes a standout appearance on, “All Your Heart,” featuring Boyton’s best on a lyrical front as he sings, “You made me into a monster, so I made you into art. And I gave it to the world to rip and tear apart.” From the guitar-laden and upbeat “Cutting Corners,” to the acoustic track, “Skipping Stone,” reminiscent of the Something Left Behind days, Transit melds old and new material that is sure to satisfy existing followers, while their more subdued approach will help accumulate a whole new branch of supporters.

The negatives on this album are few and far between. Even when the chorus falls a degree flat on, “Don’t Make A Sound,” it’s easily forgivable because the rest of the song makes up for it. Another fault to some may be the re-recorded version of “1987,” but in the vein of the record the new version flows cohesively with the rest of the album. Each song on Listen & Forgive can stand on its own but it’s the album closer, “The Answer Comes In Time,” that leaves the listener completely consumed.  The undeniably catchy licks, sing-a-long parts and the final moments of gang chants sent shivers down my spine. Tim Landers guitar work charges through the record, but it’s his backup vocals that contribute to the edginess of Transit’s signature sound, and on this track he plays to his strengths.

Transit is a band that bring back the glory days where scribbling one-liners on your notebooks were the only moments that drowned out the white noise of high school. Their 90’s emo-influences mixed with traditional indie and pop punk proves they are not afraid to divert from the masses by continually pushing boundaries to cover a vast array of genres.  Their lyrics are dramatic, their music is filled to the brim with raw emotion and their song arrangements are nothing short of enticing.  Listen & Forgive only further confirms that Transit is one of the most exciting acts in the scene today.

SCORE: 9/10
Review written by: Nerissa Judd (Follow her on Twitter)

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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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