Keith Caputo
“A Fondness For Hometown Scars”
(Suburban Records)

Oh, you crafty little man you....I remember meeting Keith Caputo after seeing an early version of Life Of Agony and he’s come a long way since. Even then I thought he was a little too contemplative and sensitive for the crossover dirge of LoA even though one could see strands of that emotion even back then. Today in “A Fondness For Hometown Scars”, Keith’s from the heart writing writing has fully blossomed and in this opus he has produced a collection of light bittersweet songs that reflect on the one hand heart felt tenderness (‘In December’) and sadness but on the other hand are harmoniously melodic (‘In This Life’) and uplifting, so it’s not all a tear jerker. For the main part most of the songs take a trippy Beatles / Lennonesque feel (‘Bleed For Something Beautiful’ - featuring Flea on trumpet!) and good measure he’s thrown in hard rockers in ‘Troubles Down’ and the more mellower ‘Devils Pride’. All in all, an excellent album and whilst it isn’t metal or rock, is a poignant, emotive reflection of one’s inner self. Who the hell needs Morrisey when you’ve got Keith Caputo?

-Shan Siva