Socratic came to Drive-Thru Records at a time when the label seemed to be expanding outwards from the field of pop-punk. Since then, Socratic has helped define a new sound for Drive-Thru. The band’s debut full length, Lunch For the Sky, was a bit shaky, but the boys are back with Just Turn, an EP that is up for grabs on their MySpace and Pure Volume websites. And by “up for grabs” I mean free. Just Turn displays an amazing amount of growth for Socratic. Everything is tighter, more melodic, and a bit more beautiful. These five tracks on Just Turn are solid enough to stand on their own and provide a satisfying time. Musically, Just Turn is a bit mellower than its predecessor, but when melded with the magic of refined vocal melodies everything fits together just fine and makes the whole album shine. On each track piano blends perfectly with flowy, ethereal guitar and always smooth and sometimes glittery vocals. Altogether Just Turn is quite a steal. But the good news is nobody has to steal it, because it’s free. Head to MySpace.com/Socratic or PureVolume.com/Socratic to download Just Turn in its entirety, or if you’ve got five bucks lying around you can buy one of the limited hard copies of the album from their online merch store.

(Drive-Thru Records, PO Box 55234, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413)