This full-length debut album from Massachusetts band Born Without Bones seems to suffer from a split personality syndrome. The first half of Say Hello is superbly produced pop-punk. It’s definitely not original, but it more than does justice to its overcrowded lineage. The second half of the album sounds like a different band altogether. The tight guitars and vocals of the first six songs mostly vanish to be replaced by rambling emo ballads that completely lack the refined, rehearsed feel that was keeping the songs together up to this point. The last song,The Camera Turns constitutes six minutes of inane, whiny drivel that could have easily been left off the album at no loss whatsoever. In fact, a six – or seven-song EP might have allowed the band to be more selective regarding which songs made the final cut. Tracks 1-6 and 9 are worth a listen. Download the album at http://tinyurl.com/Uniter-Bones.

Published in Volume 65, Number 11 of The Uniter (November 11, 2010)