Catchy Melodies & Fantasic Guitars
Think about it, it must take some guts to admit that your third album sounds exactly like your last and decide to scrap it all and start again. Well, that's exactly what Rufio did while creating 'The Comfort of Home'. Supposedly, 'The Comfort of Home' saw the band drawing upon their eclectic musical influences, from Coldplay to Metallica, to create an album that is more distinct from 2003's 'MCMLXXXV' (that's '1985' to you and me). However, whilst it might be less similar to previous albums, many of the tracks on 'The Comfort of Home' are all too similar to each other, largely due to Scott Sellers' unrelenting pop-punk vocals.
Seemingly a very personal album, a majority of the songs on 'The Comfort of Home' deal with the complexities of growing up, difficult relationships, and very intimate problems such as the death of bassist John Berry's brother and Scott Sellers' (vocals and guitars) relationship with his father. However, the confessional nature of these songs often goes unnoticed because of the all too similar sound that prevents you from reflecting upon individual songs as they all begin to bleed into one. However, 'The Comfort of Home' isn't all bad; every track is full of classic driving metal guitar and powerful riffs highlighted by the majestic instrumental interludes. And while they might be hard to differentiate, the catchy melodies and vocal harmonies are present from the first punchy chord of 'Out of Control' to the infectious sound and wailing guitar of 'My Escape'.
'Let Fate Decide' and 'A Simple Line' are well-structured songs, easy to engage with and full of big hooks and sickeningly catchy melodies, while 'Never Learn' picks up the pace with its driving rhythms and bouncing bass line. 'Bitter Season', 'Drowning' and 'Questions and Answers' emphasise the fantastic metal guitar work that goes on throughout the album, but by 'Walk Don't Run' the vocals become all too predictable as they burst into yet another familiar sounding punky chorus.
Every track on 'The Comfort of Home' serves up an infectious slice of powerful pop-punk, punchy harmonies and instantly familiar (though also instantly forgettable) melodies. Luckily, the album is prevented from becoming just another pop-punk album with a whiny American singer by the often-stunning guitar work from Clark Domae and Scott Sellers. Overall, 'The Comfort of Home' is certainly deserving of a listen if you're a fan of the band or the genre even if it is sadly lacking in diversity.