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Tapping into the highly popular emo pop punk genre would seem like a safe bet to get Adam Duritz’ newly formed record label off the ground. The Counting Crows vocalist apparently stumbled upon the band through Myspace and was so impressed that he signed them. With prior exposure on MTV and consequent selection as “MTV Featured Artist” Duritz had an outfit already halfway to success. With a satisfying blend of melodic choruses and thick guitars-think Fall Out Boy meets Tooth and Nail’s The Classic Crime-it isn’t difficult to see why Duritz got so excited. The easy on the ear opener ‘Halfway to Midnight’ flows effortlessly from mid tempo verse to harmony laden chorus. The pop punk-esque ‘These Times Call’ hints at New Found Glory at their hooky best whilst the ballad ‘Hardly Recognise’ is a superior piece of emo balladry. Blacktop Mourning pushes all the right buttons, in terms of talent and song-writing know how, however despite a sprightly debut album the band at times seem satisfied walking down the same musical path as their other more popular counterparts seemingly happy to cash in on current trends.