Federal Charm

Passenger WiRe-SouNd

Business as usual on album number three.

A fresh start of sorts for

Federal Charm, Passenger is their first album with new drummer Josh Zahler and singer Tom Guyer, but no change elsewhere in the band’s overall identity: it’s still very much a biting, Zeppelindriven sound, all grooving guitars and busy, thunderous rhythms.

The personnel change is almost seamless, although Guyer seems to have a bit more room in the top registers compared with former vocalist Nick Bowden, enabling him to tackle delicate tracks like

Emerald Haze with as much confidence as bruisers like the bristling knuckle sandwich that is Choke and the rhythmically adventurous Swing Sinner. The latter has a distinct Rival Sonstype swagger that turns up again on Get Through, Speak Out and Can’t Rule Me, a tight looseness that suits the band just fine and bodes well for their next album.