The opening riffs off of Breathe Carolina’s sophomore album (debut for Fearless records) Hello Fascination mark a step in a different direction for the band. The implementation of real instruments in their music, moving away from the strict electronic beats of their debut It’s Classy Not Classic. Already there is a sense of hope for a band that has garnered nothing but hate from bloggers and critics around the internet, but it’s hard for a band to go from hated to loved in one day.

The opening track/lead single “Hello Fascination” has a fairly catchy chorus and strong melodies, but what really brings it down is the chunky screaming that doesn’t really fit, that’s where we find the tragic flaw on Hello Fascination. The singing is there for the most part, such as the ambient vocals on “I’m The Type Of Person To Take It Personal” or the pure gold found on the beginning of “I Have To Go Return Some Video Tapes”. Once again these two tracks are taken over by the chunky screaming that ultimately hurt and bring it down.

It’s not fair though to assume that Breathe Carolina aren’t trying to change some attitudes by their use of instruments in their music now, they are creating what one could debatably call a heavier sounding Cobra Starship. Songs like “Welcome To Savannah” and “The Dressing Room” are dance-oriented tracks that move along at a nice pace and contain catchy hooks with complimenting beats.

All in all there is a lot of progression to be done by Breathe Carolina before they can become scene-darlings. But there is potential throughout the album found in certain vocals and instrumentation (the acoustic ending of “Tripped And Fell In Portland” is wonderful). The possibilities are endless for this band at the pace they are moving creating music and hopefully they find their voice soon and the praise will follow.