For many young bands, one of the biggest challenges of creating new music is learning how to take the music that has influenced them, and build upon it in a way that is engaging and modern. While it is natural to draw inspiration from other artists that they emulate, it is vital to do something to set themselves apart from the crowd.

 

Asheville, NC natives, Muscle & Bone, seem to be having trouble with walking the fine line of “emulating” and “imitating” with their first full length album, Peace And Light. As their song “Direction” says, “this is the sound of growing up.”

 

Though it is possible to hear the influence of a handful of genres, their melancholy lyrics paired with nondescript vocals mostly invoke the sound of indie rock and emo bands from the early and mid 2000’s.

 

Their isn’t much about their sound that stands out against their emo predecessors, but they have certainly nailed down the special blend of wistfulness and anguish the genre requires. While this may not be the most remarkable debut album, it is certainly a good starting ground for them.

 

The songs flow together almost seamlessly, which makes the album an easy listen but also unfortunately means none of the songs were quite strong enough to stick out amongst one another. Almost every song features a slow and and soft melody with a steady drum beat, and a few playful guitar riffs thrown in for good measure.  

 

The album starts off on a strong note, with the rough and youthful “XO,” but gets a bit bogged down as a string of slightly more somber songs follow.  

 

However, there is a bit of a gradual build as the album goes on, with each song being a bit stronger and more unique than the last. They have done a wonderful job of developing a cohesive sound, but they need to continue to expand their melodies and create some more truly attention grabbing hooks.

 

Muscle & Bone may still currently be a band on the verge of really growing up, but there is nothing wrong with having a little room to grow.