Review / 200 Words Or Less
Traveler
Going Home

Independent (2011) Sarah

Traveler – Going Home cover artwork
Traveler – Going Home — Independent, 2011

All right, Traveler don't waste time, so neither will I. The Cleveland punk/melodic hardcore group write short, enjoyable pieces that are stripped down to their absolute bare essentials. The four tracks of their debut EP Going Home take only around seven minutes of your time to listen to. The songs are chock full of happy melodies, major chords, and general jubilance that work well alongside their vocalist's screams. They create a really lighthearted mood that makes it very easy to sit back and enjoy yourself. If only it didn't end so quickly--don't lose your focus on the album for too long, because it's over before you know it. Traveler aren't bringing anything new to the table either; this is stuff you could hear from pretty much any melodic hardcore band. But what they do, they do well, and it's clear they're happy making this music. And it'll certainly make you happy to hear it, too. It may be nothing new or noteworthy, but it's an enjoyable diversion nonetheless. It's also available for free download, so you have nothing to lose by grabbing it. And by now the first track of the album is already over.

4.0 / 10Sarah • January 2, 2012

Traveler – Going Home cover artwork
Traveler – Going Home — Independent, 2011

Related features

The Immortal Samsara Travelers

One Question Interviews • February 26, 2026

Recently-posted album reviews

Bitter Branches

Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals
Equal Vision (2026)

Sometimes when you think of a town you think of a certain sound. Philadelphia is not one of those cities for me, as the bands I know from the area vary a lot in style. Yes, there is the Dan Yemin tree (Lifetime / Kid Dynamite / Paint It Black) but there are also poppy bands and emo bands and … Read more

Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs

Pigus Drunkus Maximus (Reissue)
Blind Owl Records (2026)

If rock ’n’ roll ever had a smoky, beer-soaked, throbbing heartbeat, it lives in Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs’ Pigus Drunkus Maximus. Recorded in 1981 but not released until 1987 on Restless Records, the album always felt like a document out of time — lightning caught like fireflies in clumsy hands, then bottled too long. This newly remastered reissue, … Read more

Dream Fatigue

No Requiem
Daze (2026)

There’s a particular tension that makes alternative rock compelling. I love the emotional push and pull between softness and eruption. On No Requiem, Massachusetts outfit Dream Fatigue thrive in that space, crafting a seven song EP that balances dreamlike melody with bursts of distortion and emotional urgency. Born from the creative partnership between drummer Matt Wood and vocalist Jonali McFadden, … Read more