Sounds like: Motion City Soundtrack, Death Cab for Cutie, Jimmy Eat World

Best Tracks: “Everyone’s Waiting”(Great for crusin’ in the car), “Written Like Mad Sonnets”(If you enjoy Motion City, this song is for you!), “Juliet, They’ll Eat Us Alive”(A little more intensity, pushes the envelope lyrically.)

Group Members: T. Carl Ives, Paul Brandt, Dave Power and Britta Hetzel

Band Website: meridene.net

Record Label: Ample Down Records

With over 2,200 fans on MySpace and 450 Facebook followers, the young group Meridene must be doing something right. The four person, Eau Claire, Wis.-based group recently released its sophomore album, “Something Like Blood,” with hopes to build off of the success of their 2008 debut album, “You’re Not Pretty, You’re Worse.” “Something Like Blood” is a step in the right direction for the young group. It presents an indie/rock/pop sound similar to Motion City Sound track infused with a pinch of Death Cab for Cutie. The album presents a good range with a little bit of everything, from somber odes, to downright catchy foot-tappers.

I appreciated the casual intensity of the album; however, the vocals were underwhelming average and nothing special. While I would’ve liked more vocal excitement from the lead singer, T. Carl Ives, the original lyrics and instrumentals brought the album back up a notch.

Overall as a listener, I was a happy camper. With time and additional albums to mature its sound, Meridene has great potential. For a sophomore album coming out of Wisconsin, “Something Like Blood” is well developed and executed. Their success in the college circuit does not surprise me; Meridene is definitely a group worth watching for in the future.