Rise Records, oh how you entice so much interest. With recent pop-punk signees to balance out their metalcore lineup, the label has certainly gained the attention of many Scene enthusiasts. One of the labels’ signees, Abington, Massachusetts quintet, A Loss For Words, (vocalist Matt Arsenault, bassist Mike Adams, guitarists Nevada Smith and Marc Dangora, and drummer Lee Preston) may be the most promising. While bands like Dance Gavin Dance and Attack Attack! pirate the attention of drama seekers, A Loss For Words have released one of the most impressive pop-punk records of the year: No Sanctuary.

Lyrically, A Loss For Word’s sophomore record, No Sanctuary, is much more “hit” than “miss.” A lyrically superior pop-punk song needs to be both adaptable and personalized. To craft songs that accomplish both of those goals is no small feat. Sure, the basic premise of pop-punk is that simpler is better. However, creating a simple song is far more exacting than most anticipate. Touching on a range of topics, A Loss For Words navigate stories of failed relationships, the loss of a close friend, police brutality, traveling insecurities, youthfulness and hope. On No Sanctuary’s lead single, “Pirouette,” the quintet tackle a failing relationship in a sophisticated manner. Arsenault sings, “Blank stares across an empty vacuum of stubbornness and vanity // Instead of saying what you really mean // You just dance away from me,” electing, wisely, to use a ballet motif to exemplify how couples dance around the underlying problems they face. On the powerful “The Hammers Fall” Arsenault bellows the chorus, “I can’t go on // Singing the same old songs that I have always sung // About life and loss and the places I belong // Singing the same old songs that I have always sung // Hoping the melodies will carry me home.” However, it is on “Wrightsville Beach” where A Loss For Words truly fulfill their lyrical potential as they use Oscar Wilde’s famous character, Dorian Gray, to exemplify how we too often are undeservingly self-critical, although Widle himself offers a more complex exploration of Gray and human nature: “We were once a canvas // So bright and full of color // Now we’ve become Dorian Grey // Where the frame is bent and cracked.”

Some have compared Matt Arsenault’s vocals to Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump. This comparison is misguided. Rather, Arsenault’s voice is uniquely his own, reminding the listener more of an Americanized Josh Franceschi. However, any way you describe Arsenault’s singing, one conclusion is sure to found: No Sanctuary represents a vast improvement for Arsenault. Whether it is softly singing over a piano (“Jetsetter”) or hitting the higher notes (“Raining Excuses”), Arsenault’s delivery is smooth and irresistible. Alas, when it comes down to it, No Sanctuary is a guitar-driven project. Guitarists Neveda Smith and Marc Dangora play their instruments with determination and moxie. On “Pray For Rain” the two twist and turn through three minutes of pop-punk gold, while on “The Last Cause I Used To Be” a smartly placed guitar solo helps to differentiate the track from the other songs. Not be outdone are drummer Lee Preston and bassist/screamer Mike Adams, who destroy the aforementioned “No Sanctuary” (which is by far the hardest track A Loss For Words has ever recorded) and the rerecorded full-band version of “Wrightsville Beach.” Musically, No Sanctuary finds the Bay Staters at their best.

To nit-pick, there are certainly areas where A Loss For Words could improve. For one, No Sanctuary is a little overproduced for this critic’s taste. As well, the lone ballad on the record (“Jetsetter”) comes off slightly pretentious and is inferior to “Mt. St. Joseph” off of 2009’s The Kid’s Can’t Lose. Alas, these are petty complaints, for overall, No Sanctuary is one of the best pop-punk records to be released this year.

★★★★☆

*This review was composed by Mike Meeze