Saosin – Saosin Review

Saosin – Saosin Review

Saosin is:

• Cove Reber - Vocals
  
• Justin Shekoski – Guitar
  
• Beau Burchell – Guitar
  
• Chris Sorenson – Bass
  
• Alex Rodriguez - Drums
  

  
  

After the highs of 2003's debut EP Translating the Name, Saosin have developed a solid underground following, while subtly tweaking with and refining their sound from the grungy, Anthony Green-esque scream style to a more palatable but no less hard-hitting sonic assault. Many listeners thought that the band would crash and burn after the departure of Green, Saosin's erratic but wonderfully talented lead singer, but Saosin have found a very suitable, if not more established replacement. Cove Reber hits those high notes as well as Anthony did, but has a more cutting lower end than was apparent in Anthony's voice. This difference is personified in the band's new self-titled full-length album. While some critics may condemn the group for having "sold out" to the mainstream, the opposite is indeed quite apparent. The songs are brilliantly constructed despite the fact that they follow a basic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus pattern, with the musicality and lyrical genius apparent.

From the start, it is apparent that this is a band destined for big things. The album begins with an eerie collection of ambient noise, before a singular guitar pattern paves the way for an almost creepy tom roll on the drums and the subsequent potency of Reber's voice as "It's Far Better to Learn" kicks off. The song ends appropriately, with the guitar riff leading into the next tune, "Sleepers". Avid fans will recognise this song immediately as a variation of "I Wanna Hear Another Fast Song" from their self-titled 2005 EP. "Sleepers" improves on every aspect of the song, though, and is one of the best on this album. Other standout tracks include the adrenalin-packed "Follow and Feel", "Some Sense of Security" and the raw passion and angst of "I Never Wanted To"

Musically, the band more than holds its own against the many other post-hardcore bands flooding the scene nowadays. The two guitarists, Beau Burchell and Justin Shekoski, interchange their parts beautifully throughout the album, the result of which is a melodically and rhythmically stimulating 40 minutes or so. Examples of this are on "Bury Your Head" and "It's Far Better to Learn", to name a few. However, the guitars would count for nothing if not backed up by the solid rhythm section of Chris Sorenson (bass) and Alex Rodriguez (drums). Sorenson is ever-reliable on the low end of the sonic spectrum, while Rodriguez plays some mind-boggling fills on tunes such as "Follow and Feel" and "Sleepers". He has to be one of the most rhythmically and technically sound drummers out there today, and one only has to see him in a video to note the intensity with which he pounds the skins.

The music is only half the story though. Before beginning the writing of a single tune for this album, Reber made it very clear that he was not going to write a melancholy, depressing album like many of his post-hardcore compatriots (Senses Fail, anyone?). As a result, the passion with which the music is played by the band's members is matched by Reber's heartfelt lyrics and soaring vocals. Examples include "Voices", which talks about different voices struggling to be heard in the cacophony, and "Some Sense of Security", a sad reminiscence about the past where the grass was greener.

Howard Benson (Relient K, Seether) produced the album, and with his experience has managed to meld 12 brilliant tracks together in such a way that you do not have to press the skip button urgently at any point. All the songs segue wonderfully into one another, although this could be because of the similar styles of most of the songs. The drum track sounds very tight and deep, producing suitable echoes and rich, warm cymbal sounds. The bass can actually be heard quite distinctly on normal speakers/earphones, a feat not normally achieved with many bands (Hence the origination of many bass guitar jokes).

There is not much wrong with this album, however that is not to say that it cannot be improved. Even though the tracks sound good for the most part, a constant worry is that they all use the same basic formula. And no, I'm not talking about the basic pop structure. Most of the choruses are big and heavy, with lots of crash cymbal sounds and heavy rhythm guitar inputs. Even on "softer" songs such as "You're Not Alone" and "I Never Wanted To", this form is used. In most instances it works, but some songs feel just a tad ordinary, such as "Voices" and "Come Close". Other than this minor flaw, this album is near impossible to fault.

Verdict? Buy it. No, buy two of them. Three, if you have any level of musical appreciation in you. Because this is one of the gems out there in the overcrowded rock market, and Saosin has established itself as the diamond in the rough, bypassing countless mediocre rock bands who aspire to be post-hardcore greats. A word of advice to those bands: Saosin. The way to go, boys.