Northern California’s The Story So Far hardly ever go too long without releasing new material, but their new split with Maker is certainly their best.
 
Short and sweet “Brevity” opens, and Parker Cannon’s vocals explode soon after Ryan Torf’s drums set the tempo as Cannon lets loose and exclaims, “People like you let me down.” Quick transition into “Mt. Diablo,” a pop-punk gem as well as the bright spot on the split. The band’s influences like New Found Glory and The Starting Line shine through in terms of musicianship, but the band manages to make it their own. Though the vocals are raw, the combination of Cannon, Kelen Caperner, and Kevin Geyer on the track provide for an interesting mix that the band show make more use of.
 
Though “680 South” is the weakest track thanks to overused drum combos by Torf, it’s certainly worth your time. Lyrically and vocally it’s the hardest-hitting of the bunch as Cannon repeats “All I got was a blank stare // Right between the eyes like I wasn’t there” over Will Levy and Geyer’s best guitar work on the split.
 
Sitting somewhere between the sounds of Such Gold and I Call Fives, The Story So Far certainly deserve to be named in the Defend Pop Punk Push of 2010, and if they keep producing material like this, 2011 should be a great year.
 
****/*****