The Starting Line’s latest effort Direction has been one of the more frustrating listens in recent memory. When you lead off with tracks such as “Direction” and “21” it sets an expectation of mediocrity with its mall-punk influences, however when it comes to the gem of the disc “Something Left to Give”, it is a slice of pop-rock gold, it’s sweet, hook laden and truly inviting, so much so that you have to check to ensure you’re still listening to The Starting Line. From there this PA based four-piece launch into “Birds” which launches back into the crunchy mall-punk material which is a shame, because there is little else which shines like “Something Left to Give”. It’s hardly a terrible album, but there is nothing here that you haven’t heard before, for an album entitled Direction, it’s unusual that it doesn’t actually have any.