Although Somewhere in the Between is the third full-length release by Streetlight Manifesto, longtime fans are more likely to view it as the band's sophomore effort. 2006's Keasbey Nights was, for all intents and purposes, a refurbished replica of the Catch-22 album by the same name, complete with the same vocalist and few (if any) musical changes. This makes Somewhere in the Between the band's first effort of all-original material in nearly five years, and Streetlight Manifesto is no longer the fresh-faced group that once rose from Catch-22's ska/punk ashes. They've spent a half-decade on the road, touring with ska stalwarts like Reel Big Fish while weathering lineup changes and several robberies of their equipment-filled van. Losing treasured bandmates and expensive instruments would dampen anyone's spirits, and Streetlight Manifesto does sound a bit less reckless here, but not at the expense of the group's peppy ska/punk appeal. While 2003's Everything Goes Numb saw vocalist Tomas Kalnoky rushing through his lines, cramming them chock-full of syllables and raspy melodies, Somewhere in the Between shows him improving as a lyricist and vocalist. The rasp is still there, but so is a focused tone that we haven't heard before, particularly during the subdued intro to Down, Down, Down to Mephisto's Café. Despite his improved vocals, Kalnoky remains the most punked-out member of the band, whose other members play their horn lines and guitar chords with crisp, bright precision. It's this balanced relationship -- clear orchestration and jaunty tempos paired with rasped melodies about the macabre (Would You Be Impressed), war (Watch It Crash), and sin (Forty Days) -- that ultimately governs the album, and even if Somewhere in the Between can't match the raucous nature of the band's debut, it's nevertheless a catchy follow-up. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi

1		We Will Fall Together
2		Down, Down, Down to Mephisto's Cafe
3		Would You Be Impressed?
4		One Foot on the Gas, One Foot in the Grave
5		Watch It Crash
6		Somewhere in the Between
7		Forty Days
8		The Blonde Lead the Blind
9		The Receiving End of It All
10		What a Wicked Gang Are We