by Kaitlin Parker

Following up their self-titled debut with Everybody Has a Dark Side, the Fort Worth band stays true to their roots while proving unafraid to be a little experimental.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once noted the lack of protection that exists for the man who yells fire in a crowded theater—unless of course, there’s something to shout about. Well, put down your popcorn, Ollie, and pull out your megaphone, because this time, the Theater Fire is real.

Following up their self-titled debut with Everybody Has a Dark Side, the Fort Worth band stays true to their roots while proving unafraid to be a little experimental. Beginning with a desperado feel in "Kicking Up Darkness," the band does just that with surprisingly low, almost haunting vocals. Throughout the album, the pace eventually picks up, as does the vocal range and The Theater Fire becomes as easy and satisfying to listen to as the Eagles with a touch of Damien Rice-like melancholy.

Despite the album title, not all the songs tell of doom and gloom–or maybe they do, but the tunes are composed in such an irresistible way that you won’t realize you’re singing about death by poisonous spider. "Fiddleback Weaver" sounds like it’s backed by an Appalachian mariachi band and the variety of instruments employed from track to track—soaring horns, wooden blocks, twangy banjoes, and a xylophone that vaguely resembles a rainstick constantly gives the listener some new auditory pleasure to explore without being overwhelming.

"These Tears Could Rust a Train" demands to be put on repeat for the duration of those long summer sunsets. Comparatively simplistic and sandwiched in the middle, "My Razor’s Gone" and "Land of Nod" are the weakest part of the album but still made me smile, reminding me of the tunes my grandfather used to make up and hum while he was playing (and probably cheating at) cards.

The last track, "Members of the Show ‘Em How It’s Done," is reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy (a very good thing in my book) in the instrumental introduction, and ultimately proves The Theater Fire to be members of the very club of which they sing. Truly, this is an album I would proudly present to my college friends from the East Coast and proclaim: "Where I’m from, this is how it’s done."

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