On Funeral for a Friend's first major-label album, the melodic hardcore band masterfully draws on influences from the Get Up Kids and Sunny Day Real Estate to Iron Maiden and Van Halen. But whereas many of their punk-metal peers come off like caricatures, Funeral are careful not to overindulge in showy guitar solos, misplaced yelling or unnecessarily complicated rhythms. Instead, the Welsh outfit places the focus more squarely on hooks, and tracks such as "Streetcar" and "Drive" -- which is really just a no-frills emo ballad -- won't take more than a couple of listens to get stuck in your craw.