2008 Woodie Awards
View print edition front page as a PDF
The Scene
Music notes
1/22/07
In fact, these screamo scene newcomers sound so much like TBS (and Hawthorne Heights and Brand New and The Used) that describing their sound seems almost superfluous. Don't worry, though. For those who aren't familiar with screamo, here's a little sampler: Imagine a preadolescent soprano singing call-and-response lyrics with what sounds to be a strep throat-stricken wildcat. This cacophony of sounds churns constantly over the reliable verse-chorus-verse instrumental construction.
Despite the rather straightforward approach to their major label debut, "Don't You Fake It," RJA throws a few peculiar tracks into the set. It should be noted, however, that these songs clash hilariously with the remainder of the album.
Maybe someone should have informed RJA that punk rock is supposed to be terse, immediate and in-your-face. Here, the band sounds almost tempered, even too optimistic to venture into the disaffection that first fostered punk.
This should not come as a surprise, though. RJA are currently headlining the Hot Topic-sponsored Sub City Take Action! tour, an event that promotes awareness of depression and suicide.
-STEPHEN TRINGALI
The Safes
"Well, Well, Well"
O' Brothers'
Grade: D+
Sounds like: A less-than-compelling mash-up of classic rock blues, sunshine pop and Franz Ferdinand.
Listening to the Safes' new album, "Well, Well, Well," is a lot like listening to that favorite high school band who had to acknowledge their influences by imitating just about every genre. They weren't too good at writing songs for anyone in particular, but at the very least, you gave them credit for being mediocre across the board.
The Safes dabble in quite a few genres on their third LP, though most of the material here is blanketed in the same alt-rock/pop-rock veneer. Openers "Since Trust Went Bust" and "Phone Book Full Of Phonies" bounce along with sturdy bass-lines and the dark, danceable chord progressions of Franz Ferdinand.
So what's wrong with this picture? Some might contend that imitating the best will produce the best. The three O'Malley brothers, whose collective constitutes the Safes, can only do just that - imitate. They never rise to write more than trite melodies and flat pop hooks.
On two of the album's last songs, "Only In Your Mind" and "Bliss This Instance," the band finally hits a creative stride. The former piece builds itself around an especially infectious chorus, and the latter slows down the tempo, providing listeners with a tight, guitar riff driven coda.
However, this last-minute awakening of pop songwriting sensibility comes much too late to actually compensate for the previous banal tracks. Perhaps the Safes would have produced a better album had they understood their songwriting process was not nearly over: many more terrible songs had to be written before an album's worth of actual pop gold could be discovered.
-S.T.
Despite the rather straightforward approach to their major label debut, "Don't You Fake It," RJA throws a few peculiar tracks into the set. It should be noted, however, that these songs clash hilariously with the remainder of the album.
Maybe someone should have informed RJA that punk rock is supposed to be terse, immediate and in-your-face. Here, the band sounds almost tempered, even too optimistic to venture into the disaffection that first fostered punk.
This should not come as a surprise, though. RJA are currently headlining the Hot Topic-sponsored Sub City Take Action! tour, an event that promotes awareness of depression and suicide.
-STEPHEN TRINGALI
The Safes
"Well, Well, Well"
O' Brothers'
Grade: D+
Sounds like: A less-than-compelling mash-up of classic rock blues, sunshine pop and Franz Ferdinand.
Listening to the Safes' new album, "Well, Well, Well," is a lot like listening to that favorite high school band who had to acknowledge their influences by imitating just about every genre. They weren't too good at writing songs for anyone in particular, but at the very least, you gave them credit for being mediocre across the board.
The Safes dabble in quite a few genres on their third LP, though most of the material here is blanketed in the same alt-rock/pop-rock veneer. Openers "Since Trust Went Bust" and "Phone Book Full Of Phonies" bounce along with sturdy bass-lines and the dark, danceable chord progressions of Franz Ferdinand.
So what's wrong with this picture? Some might contend that imitating the best will produce the best. The three O'Malley brothers, whose collective constitutes the Safes, can only do just that - imitate. They never rise to write more than trite melodies and flat pop hooks.
On two of the album's last songs, "Only In Your Mind" and "Bliss This Instance," the band finally hits a creative stride. The former piece builds itself around an especially infectious chorus, and the latter slows down the tempo, providing listeners with a tight, guitar riff driven coda.
However, this last-minute awakening of pop songwriting sensibility comes much too late to actually compensate for the previous banal tracks. Perhaps the Safes would have produced a better album had they understood their songwriting process was not nearly over: many more terrible songs had to be written before an album's worth of actual pop gold could be discovered.
-S.T.
Be the first to comment on this story