gnp8472
03/26/07, 01:10 PM
The Almost- Southern Weather
Record Label: tooth & Nail/ Virgin
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Did you ever wonder what UnderOATH would have sounded like had Spencer never joined when Dallas left? If you answered yes to this question, then you have some conception of what The Almost, UO drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie's solo project, sounds like. UnderOath's career building They're Only Chasing Safety found the metalcore band going more into the melodic trend, with Aaron, who wrote the lyrics of much of the album, singing much more than on previous releases and on the bands follow up, Define the Great Line. So we come to Gillespie's massively hyped solo debut, Southern Weather. While SW is nowhere near metal, screamo, or hardcore, it exhibits many of the traits that made They're Only Chasing Safety a marketable hardcore release: big melodic choruses, relatable, beautifully executed vocals by Gillespie, and just enough inventiveness to warrant originality. Southern Weather is much the same, only instead of emulating the hardcore genre, Gillespie followed the trend of pop-punk acts The Starting Line, and rockers The Foo Fighters to channel his obviously mature pop sensibilities. The result is an album that stands out in places, and blends in with the rest of the pop-punk crowd in others.
The first single from SW is the first track, "Say This Sooner." While it is indicative of much of the album, it also stands out because it blends an almost alt-country feel with the acoustic guitars in the verses. "Sooner" does enough to stand out from the crowd to warrant video play on Fuse and alternative radio. "Drive There Now" is the first example of a song that sounds almost like UnderOATH and The Starting Line combined. The chords in the verses elude to Gillespie's hardcore upbringing, save there is no screaming and no heavy distortion. Along with a handful of tracks like "Everyone here Smells like a Rat," "Never say I Told You So," and "Call Back when I'm Honest" make the Almost seem in a very unique genre: hardcore-pop-punk.
With choruses that scream the melodies of The Starting Line's Based on a True Story, and verses and chord progressions that echo of the poppy hardcore of They're Only Chasing Safety, Gillespie creates something that has not necessarily been heard before, but it also not entirely unique. Oddly enough, Kenny Vasoli, lead singer and bass player for The Starting Line, contributed to Southern Weather on one track, as well as playing bass on some tracks. Gillespie's lyrics are another aspect of the album that cannot be separated from underOath; they are strong as normal, but they echo UnderOath songs that Gillespie wrote. The structures are largely alike, employing layered vocals between Gillespie and guests, or Aaron and himself, as well as Aaron's trademark nearly-breakdown-but-still persevering lyrics.
The strong tracks on SW are, however, incredibly strong. The bound to be second single "I Mostly Copy Other People," featuring Vasoli, is the strongest pop-rock track on the entire cd. It's not far removed from UnderOath (tell me you don't think "Reinventing Your Exit" when you hear the the song), it contains strong vocals, and Vasoli's voice melds wonderfully with Aaron's. The other two standouts: "Dirty and Left Out" and "Amazing because it is" are Aaron's soft songs on the album. Both featuring excellently recorded acoustic guitars, "Dirty and Left Out" accentuates Gillespie's unsure soft voice to complement his unsure lyrics about his future and God's view of him. Jeremy Enigk, former singer for Sunny Day Real Estate, adds an especially powerful tint to the song, making it all the more powerful.
The most powerful, however, is "Amazing because it is." Starting out with an almost Coldplay-ish acoustic guitar riff, Gillespie then transitions into his Christian lyrics. the highlight of the entire album is the chorus of "Amazing:" a transposition of the lyrics to "Amazing Grace," sung in the last two choruses by a children's choir, powerfully accentuated by horns and a string section, building to a typical slow song finish that leaves you wanting nothing more. Ideally the song could have finished the album, but instead Gillespie puts it in the middle of two of his more generic songs. Do not skip this song; it is, by far, the best on the album.
Upon completion, any fan of UnderOath will undoubtedly see the similarities between the hardcore pioneers and their drummer/singer Gillespie's solo project. And while it is good to see that Gillespie is broadening his horizons and putting himself into a frontman's role, The Almost is too much like UnderOath to be completely separated from them. And while the album has strong songs individually, its comparisons to TOCS and BOATS end up taking much of the unique appeal of Gillespie's voice in a pop punk setting away. It is a solid album, but if Aaron had given it a little more of an adventurous go at Southern Weather, such as an almost alt-country release in the vein of "Say This Sooner," this release may have made it out of the ocean of similar releases that will no doubt flood the scene this year. But as it stands, The Almosts' debut is a satisfying sound, and a satisfying holdover until the sextet that Aaron sings behind the drum kit for returns.
Record Label: tooth & Nail/ Virgin
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Did you ever wonder what UnderOATH would have sounded like had Spencer never joined when Dallas left? If you answered yes to this question, then you have some conception of what The Almost, UO drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie's solo project, sounds like. UnderOath's career building They're Only Chasing Safety found the metalcore band going more into the melodic trend, with Aaron, who wrote the lyrics of much of the album, singing much more than on previous releases and on the bands follow up, Define the Great Line. So we come to Gillespie's massively hyped solo debut, Southern Weather. While SW is nowhere near metal, screamo, or hardcore, it exhibits many of the traits that made They're Only Chasing Safety a marketable hardcore release: big melodic choruses, relatable, beautifully executed vocals by Gillespie, and just enough inventiveness to warrant originality. Southern Weather is much the same, only instead of emulating the hardcore genre, Gillespie followed the trend of pop-punk acts The Starting Line, and rockers The Foo Fighters to channel his obviously mature pop sensibilities. The result is an album that stands out in places, and blends in with the rest of the pop-punk crowd in others.
The first single from SW is the first track, "Say This Sooner." While it is indicative of much of the album, it also stands out because it blends an almost alt-country feel with the acoustic guitars in the verses. "Sooner" does enough to stand out from the crowd to warrant video play on Fuse and alternative radio. "Drive There Now" is the first example of a song that sounds almost like UnderOATH and The Starting Line combined. The chords in the verses elude to Gillespie's hardcore upbringing, save there is no screaming and no heavy distortion. Along with a handful of tracks like "Everyone here Smells like a Rat," "Never say I Told You So," and "Call Back when I'm Honest" make the Almost seem in a very unique genre: hardcore-pop-punk.
With choruses that scream the melodies of The Starting Line's Based on a True Story, and verses and chord progressions that echo of the poppy hardcore of They're Only Chasing Safety, Gillespie creates something that has not necessarily been heard before, but it also not entirely unique. Oddly enough, Kenny Vasoli, lead singer and bass player for The Starting Line, contributed to Southern Weather on one track, as well as playing bass on some tracks. Gillespie's lyrics are another aspect of the album that cannot be separated from underOath; they are strong as normal, but they echo UnderOath songs that Gillespie wrote. The structures are largely alike, employing layered vocals between Gillespie and guests, or Aaron and himself, as well as Aaron's trademark nearly-breakdown-but-still persevering lyrics.
The strong tracks on SW are, however, incredibly strong. The bound to be second single "I Mostly Copy Other People," featuring Vasoli, is the strongest pop-rock track on the entire cd. It's not far removed from UnderOath (tell me you don't think "Reinventing Your Exit" when you hear the the song), it contains strong vocals, and Vasoli's voice melds wonderfully with Aaron's. The other two standouts: "Dirty and Left Out" and "Amazing because it is" are Aaron's soft songs on the album. Both featuring excellently recorded acoustic guitars, "Dirty and Left Out" accentuates Gillespie's unsure soft voice to complement his unsure lyrics about his future and God's view of him. Jeremy Enigk, former singer for Sunny Day Real Estate, adds an especially powerful tint to the song, making it all the more powerful.
The most powerful, however, is "Amazing because it is." Starting out with an almost Coldplay-ish acoustic guitar riff, Gillespie then transitions into his Christian lyrics. the highlight of the entire album is the chorus of "Amazing:" a transposition of the lyrics to "Amazing Grace," sung in the last two choruses by a children's choir, powerfully accentuated by horns and a string section, building to a typical slow song finish that leaves you wanting nothing more. Ideally the song could have finished the album, but instead Gillespie puts it in the middle of two of his more generic songs. Do not skip this song; it is, by far, the best on the album.
Upon completion, any fan of UnderOath will undoubtedly see the similarities between the hardcore pioneers and their drummer/singer Gillespie's solo project. And while it is good to see that Gillespie is broadening his horizons and putting himself into a frontman's role, The Almost is too much like UnderOath to be completely separated from them. And while the album has strong songs individually, its comparisons to TOCS and BOATS end up taking much of the unique appeal of Gillespie's voice in a pop punk setting away. It is a solid album, but if Aaron had given it a little more of an adventurous go at Southern Weather, such as an almost alt-country release in the vein of "Say This Sooner," this release may have made it out of the ocean of similar releases that will no doubt flood the scene this year. But as it stands, The Almosts' debut is a satisfying sound, and a satisfying holdover until the sextet that Aaron sings behind the drum kit for returns.