The Classic Crime

The Classic Crime is perfect for those who prefer their rock slightly edgy and perfectly groomed, with soaring, uber-melodic choruses. In this way, the Seattle-based band is nearly indistinguishable from the hordes of pretty-boy MySpace acts currently littering the modern-rock landscape. If you can make it past surface-level aesthetics, though, you'll find that the Classic Crime has some brains beneath its brawn. The title of the quintet's latest recording, The Silver Cord (due out on July 22 on the Tooth and Nail imprint), references a passage in Ecclesiastes that speaks of a silvery thread that connects a man to his spirit; when this cord is severed, the soul leaves the body — and, subsequently, this mortal coil. Each song on the album is based on this concept, which makes for pretty heady stuff compared to many of the outfit's contemporaries, who are penning endless odes to teenage angst.