May 28th, 2013 
Tyler Osborne 
Band: Misser
Album: Distancing
Genre: Punk/Emo
Label: Rise Records
Misser, the brain child of Transit’s Tim Landers and Ex-This Time Next Year’s Brad Wiseman, has consistently put out really awesome releases. Starting as a side project in 2011, Misser has quickly put out two releases that established themselves as a band, not just two dudes throwing b-sides together from their full-time projects. Every Day I Tell Myself to Be a Better Person was one of my favorite releases of 2012, so I had high hopes that Misser would put out short collection of songs with Distancing that I could sit back and enjoy. I generally feel dissatisfied no matter what when I’m listening to an EP, because if it’s bad I wonder “why did they even bother” and if it’s great I get mad and think to myself, “why didn’t you just write me more songs like this?” Misser’s Distancing is a great collection of songs that remind me why I fell in love with the band in the first place.
Kicking off with “Goddamn, Salad Days,” Distancing kicks into high gear early, channeling vibes similar to that of previous Misser releases. With intricate guitar patterns and a driving tempo throughout, Distancing is definitively a Misser EP, but also a sort of step forward in a more musically sound direction. The guitar work feels a lot more realized and thought out, and the way the different instruments blend together makes for a digestible listening experience. With punk music such as Misser’s, it’s easy for a band to try and incorporate too many things within their mixes, but I found that they did just the right job of incorporating great drumming and both clean and hard guitar playing. The song “Alone, Die.” sounds like the furthest departure from Misser’s previous releases, but even then it fits in really well within the context of the record. One of my only complaints with Distancing is that it sounds almost too much like Every I Day I Tell Myself to Be A Better Person, and I would have liked to see them stretch their legs a bit more. I feel like you have a bit more room to experiment when releasing an EP, and I would have liked to see a little more of that on Distancing. That being said, I still love these tracks.
One of my favorite parts about Misser is the dueling vocals between Tim and Brad. They have never sounded better than on Distancing, as the two further fine tune their natural chemistry as vocalists. These two could front a band in their own right, so the fact that they are still able to seamlessly move between one another is a testament to the both the songwriting and musicianship of the band. “Infared” really shows off their ability to switch off who’s singing even in the middle of a line, as if they are the same person. While the music they’ve written is very good, I don’t think I would love it as much if it weren’t the way the two men handle the vocal aspects of the band. It’s what makes them unique, fresh, and enjoyable to listen to.
Misser’s release of Distancing futher solidifies them as a player in the pop-punk scene that they call home. While they are still technically a rising band, their popularity continues to grow, and it leads one to wonder what will become of Transit if their success continues. Young New England was a letdown to many, but so far Misser have yet to disappoint, and at some point that may come to a head. Will Misser become a full-time gig? Probably not. But if Misser continues to grow and create music that is both relatable, musically interesting, and just fun to listen to, I can’t help but dream Misser gets the spotlight it so deserves.
SCORE: 7/10
Written By: Tyler Osborne
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