hailthewarrior
05/06/08, 01:53 PM
Desoto Jones - Aurora
Record Label: Deep Elm Records
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Desoto Jones aren't a band that many people know about - yet. With vocals incredibly similar to The Spill Canvas, driving guitars, and soaring choruses like Anberlin, the only place this band has to go is up. This darker side of pop rock, grittier than polished acts like Saosin yet refined enough to be consumed in massive portions, is the perfect emotional level that kids in the scene today eat up (see: Bayside).
The album opener, “Speedbump,” lets you know immediately what Desoto Jones are all about with their debut album. By the time the first single off the album, “Giant Magnets” hit my ears, I was bobbing my head, enjoying the non-sugary pop rock this band was feeding me. “Giant Magnets” also works well as the “slow ballad” single (see: Yellowcard’s “Only One”) that would certainly turn into giant sing-a-longs given the proper reception.
Owen Staszewksi’s vocal work is woven deftly through the music and carries the record on its back. Another candidate for crowd sing-a-long, complete with a guitar riff made for lighters swaying would be “Sweet Sun,” one of the best lush songs on the album, layered sonically beautifully.
The production of Chris Badami (The Starting Line, Midtown) truly shines on the best track of the album, “Courtesy Call.” The slow build-up and minimal jazz influence cements the band with a foundational song to build their record around. Even though it is the next to last song on the record, it is the summation of the entire piece. The yearning vocal work in it just continues to build the layers of the song until it gives way to a blues-tinged outro.
Aurora is the perfect base for Desoto Jones to climb onto the radar of music fans who enjoy a good hook but don’t want to swallow packages of sugar with every chorus and witty cliché. Only the future can tell what this record will do for the five guys of Desoto Jones, but based one the comparisons I can draw, success seems like the only option.
Bayside, The Spill Canvas, Jimmy Eat World’s Futures
myspace.com/desotojones (http://www.myspace.com/desotojones)
Record Label: Deep Elm Records
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Desoto Jones aren't a band that many people know about - yet. With vocals incredibly similar to The Spill Canvas, driving guitars, and soaring choruses like Anberlin, the only place this band has to go is up. This darker side of pop rock, grittier than polished acts like Saosin yet refined enough to be consumed in massive portions, is the perfect emotional level that kids in the scene today eat up (see: Bayside).
The album opener, “Speedbump,” lets you know immediately what Desoto Jones are all about with their debut album. By the time the first single off the album, “Giant Magnets” hit my ears, I was bobbing my head, enjoying the non-sugary pop rock this band was feeding me. “Giant Magnets” also works well as the “slow ballad” single (see: Yellowcard’s “Only One”) that would certainly turn into giant sing-a-longs given the proper reception.
Owen Staszewksi’s vocal work is woven deftly through the music and carries the record on its back. Another candidate for crowd sing-a-long, complete with a guitar riff made for lighters swaying would be “Sweet Sun,” one of the best lush songs on the album, layered sonically beautifully.
The production of Chris Badami (The Starting Line, Midtown) truly shines on the best track of the album, “Courtesy Call.” The slow build-up and minimal jazz influence cements the band with a foundational song to build their record around. Even though it is the next to last song on the record, it is the summation of the entire piece. The yearning vocal work in it just continues to build the layers of the song until it gives way to a blues-tinged outro.
Aurora is the perfect base for Desoto Jones to climb onto the radar of music fans who enjoy a good hook but don’t want to swallow packages of sugar with every chorus and witty cliché. Only the future can tell what this record will do for the five guys of Desoto Jones, but based one the comparisons I can draw, success seems like the only option.
Bayside, The Spill Canvas, Jimmy Eat World’s Futures
myspace.com/desotojones (http://www.myspace.com/desotojones)