reviewed by Rusty Conner

No Such Thing is a young and hungry five-piece from Austin, TX.  At first glance, you might be tempted to write them off as a boy band attempting to dabble in harder music, but you’d be sorely mistaken.  These young men blend the new sound you’d find on current Rock radio stations with enough of an edge to make them formidable among their more Metal brethren on the scene.

Ryan Hegefeld’s vocals are vibrant and clear while dancing around a hidden darkness that creeps out in such tracks as the title track and “Bury Me.”  For me, the standout track is “Bury Me,” which touches on loss and the aftermath of death.  The chorus immediately hooks into you, and lines like “When they bury me, you’ll be the last thing I see,” awaken a certain empathy for the songwriter.  The lyrics for all six tracks are intelligently written, and shy away from the shallow subject matter typical of younger lyricists.

There are the generation’s signature break down elements in most of the album.  However, the refreshing thing is that the songs are not based around said breakdowns, rather they compliment the song lasting only a few moments for emphasis.  The songwriting and structure of the songs is quality above the norm.  The other thing that caught my attention with This One’s For You is the underlying melancholy with each song.  That is not to say that the songs are all boring and monotone, instead they catch a certain element within the listener that pulls you into the song.  The listener becomes invested in what comes through the speakers.

No Such Thing is a welcome change to the current generation of musicians who follow a format because they don’t know any better.  Keep your eye on these five guys.