To be honest Open Hand's EP-compilation release "The Dream" was a rather lackluster introduction to a broader audience for the band. While originally relevant in its time, the material was already dated and nearing its expiry date when it was packaged up and released again as a single opus. As a result the anticipation for this new full-length release from the band was barely a blip on the radar - especially after a few line-up changes and an extremely long-delay in getting it completed.

Listening to "You And Me", it appears as though those dimmed hopes couldn't have been more misplaced. Somehow, over the period of a year Open Hand have transformed themselves from a standard-fare emocore band into a sun-baked desert rock outfit who revel in guitar-driven sensitivity. Sounding like the results of Jimmy Eat World being invited to one of the Desert Sessions, the music offered here is simplistic sounding from a top down perspective, yet reveals a wealth of prog-styled instrumentation upon further listens.

Chockfull of catchy pop-rock oriented hooks, a generally upbeat demeanor and a wealth of the fuzz-coated riffing bands like Queens Of The Stone Age and Kyuss helped to modernize; "You And Me" is not only a resounding reinvention of a band, but a reinvigoration as well. By routinely enlisting the vocal talents of Monofog vocalist Hayley Helmericks, Open Hand are able to create a dynamic interplay that recalls that of PJ Harvey and Josh Homme's recent collaborations, though ultimately with a much more structured and commercially friendly appeal.

For such a brazen attempt into the left field, Open Hand actually prove themselves to be surprisingly competent, taking on both peppy groove-ridden crunches and percussive-laced dirges with equal amounts of grace. The pristine production does somewhat detract from the overall feel of the album as it's clarity belies the lo-fi nature of the material. There are also a few syrupy tracks included that sound like failed moments of experimentation and just beg to be skipped. But as a whole, "You And Me" is a shockingly enjoyable release that proves there actually just may be something good to come out of the eventual ashes of the current emo-rock moment.