Down to Earth Approach rocks with typical Vagrant fervor on Another Intervention, its full-length debut. Frontman
Jonathan Lullo's boyish wail strains appropriately on the high notes ("Is this what you WANTED?," the title track begins), and the band's two guitars chug with urgency throughout. But
DTEA wisely avoids the played-out quiet/loud dynamics that posit many a peer in the
emo band no man's land. Instead, "We're Sleeping," "Exhibit of the Year," and "Permanently" stick to the sonic midrange of early
Get Up Kids and even that band's stylistic forebear,
Superchunk. Read: it's never too heavy, but neither is it all sloppy and weepy, even if famous Kleenex-holder
Chris Carrabba handled some of the record's co-production. "Honey and Vinegar" is a highlight, suggesting what
Tom Petty's "Even the Losers" would sound like as an
emo pop gem. "Permanently" gets a bit harder, which is nice -- it's sort of a less intellectual version of the
Hey Mercedes sound. Later, "Lights" switches between triumphant power chord crashes and an interestingly timed chorus tinged with cool vocal harmonies. Another Intervention is a somewhat blatant recombination of Vagrant's own recent history. But
Down to Earth Approach does it well and convincingly enough, so there's really no reason why this won't appeal to the label's devotees. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
