There's a song on Watch It Die called "Dancing With Anxiety," a title that wraps up Home Front's style quite well. Because I like to beat metaphors to a pulp, maybe also consider "Between The Waves" as another title that captures how they straddle the punk and new wave worlds.
Home Front plays street punk with a lot of synth and tinges of early goth, disguising its call-to-action tone in post-punk danceable beats that can mislead you about the weightier lyrical themes at play. If you like The Cure and 1980s punk rock, this band seems right up your alley.
I think I spelled it out already, but getting deeper, the songs of Watch It Die tend to lean in two directions: fist-in-the air punk anthems and danceable synth-heavy tracks. The band's live show really makes use of electronic drums to powerful effect. That's present on the album, but I don't feel like Watch It Die captures quite the same energy. I think the format is actually pretty straightforward, with chanted vocals and basic song structures, but the synths breathe in new life and offer a perfect contrast to the dark tones of the lyrics and key signatures..
"New Madness," "Between The Waves," and "Kiss The Sky" are some of the more new wave-y songs. "Light Sleeper" is punk meets new wave, getting that dystopian post-punk element down pat. "Always This Way" is similarly aggressive yet a little disjointed (in a good way). "For The Children" and "Young Offender" are both punkier tunes that pepper power chords and harsh vocals with layered electronic rhythms.
I like what the band is doing and I enjoy Watch It Die, putting a dark rock and danceable twist on '80s-inspired punk and this album is definitely a keeper. At the same time, it doesn't capture the same energy that boosts their live show -- the synthetic beats feel a little more sterile in my living room than on the club floor.
