When Skies Wash Ashore blends intense metalcore with accessible hooks. The majority of the songs have the typical metalcore structure with giant breakdowns and a combination of screaming and singing. There are also tracks like "What Can You Do To Me" that are mainstream rock with all melodic vocals. Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta guests on "Taste Of Ashes."
Straight Line Stitch is bound to draw comparisons to bands like In This Moment, who play a comparable style of music and also have a charismatic female fronting the group. Alexis Brown has the ability to scream like a banshee one moment, and sing like an angel the next. Her voice is versatile, moving easily between death metal growls and melodic singing.
When Skies Wash Ashore has several standout tracks. There are also a few songs that are generic and pretty much filler. That's a bit concerning since there are only 10 songs on the disc. Still, Straight Line Stitch does a good job trying to expand beyond the traditional metalcore boundaries. The songs without screaming have a lot of commercial potential, and the the screaming tracks have enough intensity to satisfy metal fans.
(released August 19, 2008 on Koch Records)
