When the opening notes of “Ceilings” flooded my earphones, I immediately thought that I had Alive In Wild Paint pegged as an act I would soon forget. Repeat listens of this track, however, prove the inaccuracy of this impression, as something is constantly jumping out of the background to differentiate the song from the work of its apparent influences. Whether it be a patient song structure not rushed to win you over or harmonies so tight and clean they sound like production wizardry, these elements make you think twice about jumping to conclusions with your comparisons. This is not to say the road of Alive In Wild Paint diverges from other artists right then and there. The next track, “Crystal Selves” is a driving rock number with haunting details that would make it sound right at home on a John Mayer hit. The first time Travis Bryant's breathy falsetto kicks in, you can’t help but think this guy can easily go toe-to-toe with Matt Prior or Thom Yorke. This song is not just ear candy, though, but serves up lyrical wordplay such as “Don't you feel loved, don't you feel so much better now.” Shadowy writing and strong musicianship makes this track a turning point, as it proves Alive In Wild Paint are not imposter hacks, but rather that they deserve to sit at the “big kids’ table.”

   “Anxious Disease” is a number that commences with a fuzzy guitar riff that makes way for Bryant's seductive vocals that transition from being isolated to matched in perfect harmony for a lead-in to an sountrack-like chorus. The only problem with this is the fact that the harmonizing sounds almost too perfect. When vocals sound this spot-on, there are only two possibilities – either the band is so tight from playing together so many years they are just that good, or it is studio trickery at its best. The song is very solid, and it's very radio-friendly. From there, we jump right in to “Sleep With Your Soul In” which follows a toe-tapping beat which escorts us into an enormous hook that makes an end result that is extremely catchy, and sounds like it was ripped right from a Watashi Wa album. “Children Of Divorce” is the first number where we see Alive In Wild Paint stepping out of the shadow of their influences, with sweeping beats and brilliant vocals. However, the ball was dropped on the chorus, where what should be a mosh-inducing sonic flurry comes across too safe, and just doesn’t rock as hard as you would like. Alive In Wild Paint comes back into favor with the last standout track of “A Vespertine Haunting,” which is a heart puller that you can just sit and lay down and fall asleep a great closing track and finish to a fantastic album.