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I feel a little queer admitting this, but Pennsylvania's Sound The Alarm and their self-titled debut album really isn't all that bad. Sure, there are the typical syrupy/poppy/whiny lyrics and whatnot, but this band has a hell of a sense of melody. Their choruses are catchy as fuck and if they just made an album full of just choruses... hell, I'd probably buy it. I would say that this band is an emo band, but it seems that this band tries to stay away from that label, labeling themselves as alternative rock, instead. That is a damn good idea on their part, because I believe that the emo movement is losing steam and is going to go the way of hair metal and grunge, only the emo movement is WAY more lame than hair metal... and grunge fucking ruled. Anyways, Sound The Alarm is a quintet and their self-titled debut album is pretty solid outing. If I listened to the radio, I would probably have heard this band on some station, but I'll be damned if I am going to start listening to the radio and all of the horrendous music that is usually played in regular rotation on Seattle radio stations. Ugh. STA's singer, Cody Jancovic, is a decent enough singer. I wouldn't say he's a major talent or anything. He sounds pretty generic as far as the punk influenced/emo-esque sounding singer's go, but he's good enough... he's damn pretty too (that's how I know these guys are emo: they're all pretty, except for the bassist... bassists are never pretty, and this band makes no exception). His voice alone isn't all that special, but when back-up singer/guitarist, Joe Brule, throws in his vocal harmonies, both voices sound brilliant. Perhaps they should just sing together at all times. The rhythm section of guitarists, Brule and Brian Chiusano, bassist (the ugly one), Colin Ellis, and drummer, Rick Stephans, are solid enough sounding. I'd say that the riffing and all that jazz is pretty much generic, but catchy sounding. If it wasn't for the brilliant vocal harmonies, these guys wouldn't be special at all, sans the lead guitar work, which is REALLY fucking good. I'm not sure whether it is Brule or Chiusano, but whoever is playing guitar leads during vocal breaks knows how to wield an axe. The songs that really stick out for me on this album are “Closer”, the opening track. It's always good to open an album with a strong song and the choruses on this song really made me pay attention to the rest of the album because, before they kicked in, all that I could think of was, “Oh, great, an emo band for a metal head to review. Yuck!” It's safe to say now that STA has passed the test of being listenable in spite of their style of music, for me. “Suffocating” is another decent track, thanks again to the vocal harmonies. Those are the two songs that really stuck out to me, I think that those are also the songs that they have recorded music videos for, so I guess that Geffen records realized that they need to promote those songs as well. This band has potential to do something great, and all of the members of this band are kids. They were discovered while still in high school and are still in their late teens. Damn kids. This could very well be their first step to doing something special; all that they need to do is branch out from the pack of other bands doing this style and really make a name for themselves. They're at an age where they can do something like that and it not sound forced. I gotta give these boys props for getting their shit together at such an early age. If you like emo or newer alternative rock, check Sound The Alarm out. I wouldn't recommend this for any metal head that isn't as open minded as I am, though.
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