Carrying the torch for rugged Midwest bands into the next generation of punk rock, Homelife is expanding upon its forbears with 2012 full-length debut, Translation.  Since forming in 2009 in the same rugged plains and college towns around Lansing, MI as like-minded acts such as Small Brown Bike and Cheap Girls, the new album marks not only a progression for the band and its members’ roots in hardcore acts, but for the genre itself.

The band went through a number of transitions and membership changes prior to the line-up that recorded Translation, which features Mike Poshedly on bass/vocals, Craig Rasmussen on guitar, Jacob Weston on vocals/guitar, and Chaz Villareal on drums.  With each change, the progression can be traced from the band’s demo cassette (recorded at Cold War Studios, by Rick Johnson: Mustard Plug, Cheap Girls), to the band’s 7” split with Bike Tuff (recorded at Studiotte: La Dispute, Continuance, Brothers) which sees Weston’s raspy, fractured vocal delivery and the bands’ increasingly complex angles taking shape.

While the members’ hardcore background is still on display in some aspects of Translation (most of the songs clock-in the 2:30 range and sound best played LOUD), the sparkling and sharply-cut dynamics on display have set the ideal background for Weston’s unique delivery and lyrics that throwback to the sincerity of 90’s favorites such as Jawbreaker, Knapsack (whom the band covers), and The Promise Ring.  Taking a number of sonic risks, beyond what its peers may have been comfortable with, represented a monstrous swing from Homelife and a clear homerun with Translation, which is almost certain to gain traction one of the best surprise debut LP’s in punk rock that 2012 will have to offer. Certainly the band has not come out of nowhere, having toured extensively with bands such as Settle for Less and Downtime, but no one who had been privy of their previous output could’ve predicted the stellar (top to bottom) and heartfelt record that resulted from the band’s Fall 2011 sessions at Studiotte.

Upon hearing Translation, Black Numbers (Banquets, Luther, The Copyrights) immediately stepped in to join with the band’s hometown label, Bermuda Mohawk (Cheap Girls, River City Rebels, Jack Oblivian) to co-release and distribute the record across the US in late-spring 2012.  The band plans to take its loud and passionate live show to all corners of the globe in support of Translation, throughout 2012 and beyond.

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