HO-HUM POP/PUNK WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF ANY KIND

After naming themselves after the New York town of Philmont “because it sounded cool,” the four-piece pop/punk outfit shook hands with ForeFront Records on the heels of an impressive outing at Cornerstone Music Festival. If the year was 2001, this would have been known as a solid signing. And perhaps the band’s second EP, Oh Snap, would have been deemed a groundbreaking record.

But in 2009, every punk riff, every fist-raising anthem, every tear-inducing ballad, every soaring harmony—in other words, the entirety of the EP—has been done before. Producer Rob Hawkins has proven his chops on previous projects with Fireflight but stands too far back on this one, allowing a dated, retread sound to dominate every song.

“I Can’t Stand to Fall” (see all-too-obvious song title) rips Sherwood and, well, every other band in this genre. It’s clear Philmont is well-educated on the works of its peers, but the band should know better than to fall into such musical ruts. “The Difference” offers a brief respite two minutes into the song with a synth fill before heading toward the same rawking pattern as everyone else.

A gem is found at album’s end on “The Ascension,” a holdover from the band’s Photosynthetic EP. The arrangement features a synth-heavy backdrop, interesting harmonies and a strong melody, showcasing a band interested and talented enough to move on from here. I don’t know whose decision it was to leave the band in such formulaic territory, but hopefully creativity will play a much stronger role next time around. —Matt Conner