Somehow Hollow

With an ever-increasing number of metal-edged emo-pop bands flocking to cash in on a trend, it's becoming harder and harder to separate the wheat from the chaff. But Stratford's Somehow Hollow are definitely wheat. Sure, their sound that veers from melodic pop punk to chugging half time throw-downs could easily be confused with that of Glassjaw, Taking Back Sunday or Thursday. But this quartet, which features Grade's Brad Casarin on guitar (although he has since left the band), presents a familiar sound in an unfamiliar way. There's something about the energy and conviction of the songs and their delivery that makes sound like something other than derivative.