Let me start by saying this is in no way an original album. It’s the same rehashed post-hardcore/screamo clichés you’ve heard a hundred times before. But if you can overlook this glaring issue, To Create a Cure has a lot to offer. Though My Ticket Home aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel here, they have crafted a very impressive LP debut.
It’s a little surprising a band so early in their career could create such a diverse and cohesive album, yet that’s exactly what My Ticket Home have done. Though the abundance of heavy verses and breakdowns sound a little forced to me, they transition almost seamlessly while still holding the listener in the moment. It’s possibly one of the biggest hurdles a band has to overcome when blending so many different styles, but it’s something MTH do exceptionally well.
I did find the balance to be a bit off throughout the album, unfortunately. Although you find yourself completely caught up in the grand nature of some of their sweeping epics like “Atlas” and “The Truth Changes If We Both Lie,” you’ll probably find yourself a little bored and distracted during the more direct mosh tracks. I’m sure they’d fit better in the band’s live show, but on the album they tend to feel out of place. This leaves you wondering if the band is beginning to outgrow their hardcore influences.
On the production side of the things, it’s what you’d expect from any Rise release. The album was actually produced by label mate Caleb Shomo of Attack Attack!, and as you can imagine, doesn’t sound too far off from their latest release, This Means War. Perhaps the only real difference being My Ticket Home’s wise choice in a more raw-sounding guitar tone.
Lyrically vocalist Nick Giumenti seems to be playing it safe with a very simplified approach to his writing. For the most part they focus on a wide variety of narratives which aid in capturing the listener during those epics, but like the rest of the album, fall flat during the heavier tracks.
Overall To Create a Cure is a promising start for My Ticket home. It lacks the innovation of some of their contemporaries, but the hooks alone warrant a listen. I think the band would benefit from further developing the more melodic side of their sound, but for now this will certainly do.
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