For a small local band, the challenge is standing out among the sea of Fall Out Boys and Panic at the Discos that litter today’s music scene. Luckily, Her Next Friend, a Virginia-based trio, doesn’t have trouble with this. The smoky baritone voice of lead singer John Burton, combined with an edgy rock beat, differentiates the group from other similar acts. With some songs on its third record, “Disaster Casual,” however, the band is notable for all the wrong reasons - forgettable and incomparable lyrics.

When the first track, “Don’t Answer the Phone,” starts, listeners will expect Burton’s vocals to sound similar to Tyson Ritter of the All-American Rejects or Chris Arriba from Dashboard Confessional because of the melodramatic undertone. In reality, however, his husky, deep voice is more in the vein of Daniela Federica from the Irish band Scythian.

Each of the album’s eight tracks is hit-or-miss in terms of quality. “House with No Door” is wonderful for it musical simplicity and interesting lyrics. During the song, Burton muses about a woman “stretched out on a bottomless floor / in search of a house with no door.” Another strong track is “Shadow Beside Her,” a song about a woman who has lost her way with “no one to guide her.”

On most of its tracks, the band does well with instrumental breaks. Each is enjoyable and doesn’t drag on for any longer than it should. The guitar-heavy break on “Don’t Get Real On Me, Man” is especially

enjoyable for its interesting riffs.

While some tracks are strong, others are considerably lacking, however, creating an album that’s inconsistent, at best. On “Girls at the Zoo,” for instance, Burton seems like he’s straining to reach the higher notes during the chorus.

Some lyrics also leave much to be desired. On “Goodbye to All That,” Burton attempts to explain his own personal growth: “I’ve made great strides / Oh yes, it’s true.” He never fully succeeds, however, and the sentiment falls flat. On the album’s final track, “One to Avoid,” Burton lets loose on a former love, but the lyrics never precisely convey his feelings of rejection. “Ego destroyed / she was one to avoid,” he sings.  

The album is not the worst album put together — in fact, it seems better each additional time it’s played — but it doesn’t bring anything new to the scene. With Burton’s gruff vocals and strong instrumental work, the album could have been a rousing success, but it becomes bogged down with several poor tracks and lyrical difficulties.