Australian five-piece
Tonight Alive
continue to distance themselves from their pop-punk origins on their slick, but mostly confident third LP. Over the course of their first two records, the Sydney-based group underwent a subtle shift from exponents of fairly straightforward pop-punk and emo to something a bit more expansive. Recorded with veteran producer
David Bendeth
in New Jersey,
Limitless
seals their full pop crossover with an accessible, uplifting, and very mainstream sound. What might be considered a sellout by some can sometimes be a positive move when handled with finesse, and
make a convincing go of it on soaring anthems of empowerment like "To Be Free," "Drive," and "Power of One." Aiding their cause is frontwoman
Jenna McDougall
, whose bold pipes are powerful enough to drive the more rock-centered tracks and emotive enough for the ballads, of which there are quite a few. While some of the tracks might come across as a little too shiny for some fans, a strong power ballad like "Oxygen" somehow soars on the wings of its own unabashed earnestness, showing how fine a line
are treading in their gambit for fame and fortune. ~ Timothy Monger