Transit
Listen & Forgive

Perhaps at Rise Records they've noticed. The -core made by thousands of clone bands in America will bring in a lot of money, but when faced with something more repetitive, there's nothing left to do but look for other solutions to satisfy listeners who are fed up with the usual routine. Thus, from around 2010 onwards, the label signed bands of significant importance like Bouncing Souls (a recent acquisition) and Hot Water Music (who I think joined Rise a few years earlier, but I mention them anyway), as well as young and promising bands like Make Do And Mend, part of the post-hardcore scene known as "The Wave" along with La Dispute and Touche Amore, Man Overboard, and Transit.

Let's focus on Transit. "Listen & Forgive" is their debut on Rise and third album after 2 decidedly positive releases.

Formed in 2006, the band offers a genre I refuse to call either pop punk or emo pop. I'll call it Pop Rock. To be clear, we're talking about a genre that showed its best side—if not the only decent one—in the early 2000s with the debuts of Taking Back Sunday, Brand New (who didn't get worse, rather improved, but moved to a different genre after their first work) and Rufio. A genre that after these albums fell into oblivion, being identified with groups usually chilling to say the least. Until the arrival of Transit. In fact, in recent years, thanks to them and other "underground" groups (perhaps a bit daring but they're not that famous), it's reviving and the absence of stylistic falls in their, albeit not very rich yet, discography is proof of that.

"Listen & Forgive" is an album that, even if not at the top positions, ranks well in the 2011 "Alternative" scene releases. A light, never boring and highly enjoyable album that contributes to the revival of a genre.