The Mighty Rime "mighty rime"

Seeing as how Christie Front Drive is considered one of the fathers of emo as we know it--and one of the primary influences on Jimmy Eat World--it really goes without saying that Christie Front Drive have much to answer for. Will they ever be held accountable for their actions? Who knows. Will they ever get together and cash in on what they have wrought? (Recent revelations in a Jimmy Eat World article in Devil In The Woods hint at it--if Jimmy Eat World even remember the little people from their salad days.)

The Mighty Rime is the return of Christie Front Drive's Kerry McDonald. Instead of making Christie Front Drive Part Two, he's decided to go for a rootsier sound. "Rootsier" meaning "lo-fi." "Sound" meaning "indie-rock." "Indie-rock" meaning "Built to Spill." Seriously, this stuff sounds like a hip indie-rock loving college student's home-recorded output. You certainly wouldn't know that Kerry had been in Christie Front Drive. Maybe that's the point? Who knows. The Mighty Rime was not what I'd expected, and yes I'm a little disappointed.

I don't want to sound too critical, though, because some moments here really hint that The Mighty Rime could be something so much better. "Loot'n n Shoot'n" is a great, interesting little rock number that probably explodes quite loudly when played live. The final "Soothing Finish" is an instrumental number that really makes me wish that the rest of the album had at least a few more moments that sounded like it, because it would have been a lot more interesting.

It must be difficult starting over from a seminal band, and going forth with a sound and style so radically different than what people might expect can often prove dangerous. I've got to give Kerry credit for making music again, and taking the risk of doing something different, even if it was a misstep. The Mighty Rime isn't going to overcome the Christie Front Drive legacy, and fans shouldn't expect it to.

--Joseph Kyle