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| Halocene - Can You Hear Us Now? | Halocene – Can You Hear Us Now?
Record Label: Unsigned
Release Date: September 30th, 2011
One of the things about life is that you’re probably not the very first person to do something. Chances are it’s been done before. Music is no different. It’s very difficult to make something wholly original anymore. Reviews on AP.net (and just about everywhere else) will say, “Recommended if you like.” I am not putting that at the bottom of my reviews any longer, starting with this here review. It is essentially comparing the current music to music that’s come before it. Quick examination: Britney was dubbed the next Madonna. Now, Lady Gaga is our version of Madonna. Usher was supposed to be the next Michael Jackson. Then Chris Brown was. People even thought that original Hit The Lights were trying to copy Fall Out Boy (hence “The Call Out (You Are The Dishes”). It’s part of rating things; you compare it to other things that preceded it. In the morphed genre of pop/punk, it’s entirely rampant.
If you’ve read my other reviews, you’ll see that I’ve reviewed several female-led groups. In each of those reviews I’m sure I’ve drawn parallels to Paramore. In this genre, you can’t get away from it. Paramore really did things that no other group had done and they did it successfully. When Riot! went platinum, and they became uber famous, parallels were even drawn between Paramore and No Doubt. They have no grounds other than both bands being fronted by a pretty eccentric female, but you see what I’m getting at. It got me to thinking about the situations being reversed. Truth is, there probably wouldn’t be a Lady Gaga without Madonna. No Usher without Michael Jackson. No LeBron James without Michael Jordan, to bring in something outside the music world. In an attempt to review another female-led group, Halocene, without drawing parallels to Paramore, I will simply pretend like Paramore doesn’t exist. It’s the only fair thing to do. When reading it, try to envision the same. Okay, break.
Let me start the review of Can You Hear Us Now? by saying I’m very critical of female singers. For whatever reason, I scrutinize their music a lot more than I do male vocalists. I think that’s because I prefer the tone and pitch of male vocals, something that female vocalists simply can’t do physically. Not a knock on them. Just facts and just preference. With that said, I really like Halocene’s vocalist, Addie Nicole. It’s pure, but powerful. It’s perfectly suited for pop/punk (5 alliteration points).
The album starts with “Fragile and the Frail.” After listening to this album through several times, I’m glad they chose this to start the album. The chorus, it’s so catchy that it’s almost annoying, and I mean that in a good way. There’s even a very soft breakdown towards the end that makes the track even better. “Sometimes” is an angsty female anthem, and also catchy. I kind of think of Alanis Morissette and Meredith Brooks. Guitar work in this song makes it even more enjoyable. “Reckless” and “Toxic” bring out the rock, but again have the sound of a Morissette or even a dash of Benatar. Good old-fashioned music. “Next Best Kiss” shows off the softer quality of Addie’s voice and it’s a nice change-up from the first four tracks. She gets back to business with “Look What You Did” though. A song or two later we get to “Don’t Leave,” the slowest track on the album. But don’t confuse slow with not being good. It’s one of the best here. The 11-track album ends with “Last Dance.” I’m glad they went out with this song. It’s a bit dark and I even hear a bit of Panic! in there, where it gets really catchy. It’s probably my favorite on the album. On a very good album. Now, let’s huddle up again.
Now, I’ve stayed away from the Paramore comparisons for as long as I could. There are many similarities and parallels to be drawn, but where others have fallen short, Addie stacks up. That’s only a compliment in my eyes. Her voice has so many qualities that make it sound like Hayley; that’s just something you can’t get away from. The thing that should be taken away from this album is that it’s very good. My last few reviews haven’t been that favorable because I was left wanting more than I got. At the end of Can You Hear Us Now? I was left pleasantly fulfilled. The music is good. The vocals are good. The instruments are good. The production (self-produced by Bradley Amick) is good. So, forget the comparisons. What I want for this band is for them to make it because of the quality of their music, not fail because people think they’re a Paramore knock up. Don’t get it twisted. In another world, Paramore is the next Halocene.
Rating: 8/10
Track listing:
1. Fragile and the Frail
2. Sometimes
3. Reckless
4. Toxic
5. Next Best Kiss
6. Look What You Did
7. Red Dress
8. Don’t Leave
9. Say All You Want
10. Worth It
11. Last Dance
Band members: Addie Nicole, Bradley Amick, Cash Hart
Produced By: Bradley Amick
www.halocene.com
http://www.facebook.com/Halocene |
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Displaying posts 1 - 3 of 3. |
01:20 AM on 02/07/12 | first two paragraphs seem a little unnecessary. | | |
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01:46 PM on 03/04/12 | I've done a few reviews of female-led groups and always compared them to Paramore because of the genre and sound, so I felt I wanted to explain why I wasn't doing that this time. | | |
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