Susan Frances
10/31/08, 12:24 PM
Common Kings, The - Heavy Lies the Crown
Record Label: Unsigned
Release Date: June 14, 2008
As much as modern rock seems like a catch-all-genre, The Common Kings have it down beautifully with brawny lifts relatable to Three Days Grace and melodic rock prints comparable to Daughtry. The Common Kings latest release Heavy Lies The Crown has track after track of radiant guitar streaks played by Justin Tartick and P.A. Bologna with complementing keyboard fluctuations performed by Randy Spence as the band’s bassist Kevin Hoffman and drummer Dewey Hastrich tailor the rhythmic knolls to move in sync with lead singer/guitarist Christian Kosmoski whose voice is the inspiration that sets these songs airborne. Many singers have good voices, but Kosmoski’s vocal cleats dig in deep and really give the songs an extra push that accentuates their captivating value. His singing has such effortless strokes that anyone may feel they are accessible, but few people can reach the level of depth that Kosmoski’s voice exhumes. The Common Kings have made their songs inviting for anyone to sing along with them, but no matter how good a singer you are, Kosmoski’s voice has a way of standing tall from the others.
The Common Kings enable modern rock to stand tall and proud with rich guitar flurries designed to build and die down, and then build back up again like in “On The Surface.” The formations of troughs and peaks along the track are beautifully transitioned as Kosmoski releases, “I do not want to feel that worthless.” The songs are braced in synchronized trembles and intertwining harmonies that show solidarity like the bright radiance in the guitar riffs of “Knees to Elbows,” which shoot out like streaming missiles blaring out on cue through the chorus parts as the slow trembles along the verses give Kosmoski’s vocals the opportunity to light the fuses that set off the chorus sections. His vocals slide easily and soar massively belting out, “All at once the right lyrics hit me … And the music hits me and it sounds like a symphony / The crowd and I are in perfect harmony” along the bridge of “The Moment.” The guitar spins are muscular without being overwhelming in “Sure Thing, Miss Something” as Kosmoski’s vocals display a strong grip on the melodic bars as he swings and slides from liberating impulses.
These songs allow The Common Kings to release something inside themselves that nothing else in life may give them the chance to do, or at least that is how they play their songs. The band’s romantic side peaks through in the catchy ditty “Better than this” when Kosmoski beams, “My love, is there something you want me to do.” The heart-beating rate of the rhythm is entangled in emotive guitar riffs that cause the melody to blossom more fully as it progresses. The dimly lit acoustics starting off “Ends Meet” are gradually integrated into rock guitars and vigorous chord movements that light up the track with attractive dynamics. The rock ballad “Noon or Two” has lovingly vocal inflections, while “Check your Pulse” emote a drag-racer’s roar in the guitars and a southern rock potency in its melodic intonations.
Being a native son of Buffalo, New York, The Common Kings suffuse a need for modern striped rock. Their cauldron of whipping flames and complementing dynamics display an inviting brew. The music is unpretentious and the instrument parts are integrated skillfully. If modern rock is allowed a new day, The Common Kings should be one of the first coming up with the Sun’s early morning light. The Common Kings are a nice way to hail in a new day and fortify you for what may come into your life. Breakfast cereals may nourish the body, but The Common Kings give fuel to the spirit.
Papa Roach, Daughtry, Three Days Grace
www.myspace.com/commonkings (http://www.myspace.com/commonkings)
Record Label: Unsigned
Release Date: June 14, 2008
As much as modern rock seems like a catch-all-genre, The Common Kings have it down beautifully with brawny lifts relatable to Three Days Grace and melodic rock prints comparable to Daughtry. The Common Kings latest release Heavy Lies The Crown has track after track of radiant guitar streaks played by Justin Tartick and P.A. Bologna with complementing keyboard fluctuations performed by Randy Spence as the band’s bassist Kevin Hoffman and drummer Dewey Hastrich tailor the rhythmic knolls to move in sync with lead singer/guitarist Christian Kosmoski whose voice is the inspiration that sets these songs airborne. Many singers have good voices, but Kosmoski’s vocal cleats dig in deep and really give the songs an extra push that accentuates their captivating value. His singing has such effortless strokes that anyone may feel they are accessible, but few people can reach the level of depth that Kosmoski’s voice exhumes. The Common Kings have made their songs inviting for anyone to sing along with them, but no matter how good a singer you are, Kosmoski’s voice has a way of standing tall from the others.
The Common Kings enable modern rock to stand tall and proud with rich guitar flurries designed to build and die down, and then build back up again like in “On The Surface.” The formations of troughs and peaks along the track are beautifully transitioned as Kosmoski releases, “I do not want to feel that worthless.” The songs are braced in synchronized trembles and intertwining harmonies that show solidarity like the bright radiance in the guitar riffs of “Knees to Elbows,” which shoot out like streaming missiles blaring out on cue through the chorus parts as the slow trembles along the verses give Kosmoski’s vocals the opportunity to light the fuses that set off the chorus sections. His vocals slide easily and soar massively belting out, “All at once the right lyrics hit me … And the music hits me and it sounds like a symphony / The crowd and I are in perfect harmony” along the bridge of “The Moment.” The guitar spins are muscular without being overwhelming in “Sure Thing, Miss Something” as Kosmoski’s vocals display a strong grip on the melodic bars as he swings and slides from liberating impulses.
These songs allow The Common Kings to release something inside themselves that nothing else in life may give them the chance to do, or at least that is how they play their songs. The band’s romantic side peaks through in the catchy ditty “Better than this” when Kosmoski beams, “My love, is there something you want me to do.” The heart-beating rate of the rhythm is entangled in emotive guitar riffs that cause the melody to blossom more fully as it progresses. The dimly lit acoustics starting off “Ends Meet” are gradually integrated into rock guitars and vigorous chord movements that light up the track with attractive dynamics. The rock ballad “Noon or Two” has lovingly vocal inflections, while “Check your Pulse” emote a drag-racer’s roar in the guitars and a southern rock potency in its melodic intonations.
Being a native son of Buffalo, New York, The Common Kings suffuse a need for modern striped rock. Their cauldron of whipping flames and complementing dynamics display an inviting brew. The music is unpretentious and the instrument parts are integrated skillfully. If modern rock is allowed a new day, The Common Kings should be one of the first coming up with the Sun’s early morning light. The Common Kings are a nice way to hail in a new day and fortify you for what may come into your life. Breakfast cereals may nourish the body, but The Common Kings give fuel to the spirit.
Papa Roach, Daughtry, Three Days Grace
www.myspace.com/commonkings (http://www.myspace.com/commonkings)