Review Summary: Saosin has moved away from their screamo roots; for the better.
Look, I don't care what you think of Saosin-before and after Anthony Green. To me, his whiny voice etched marks into my ears, and I'm not a big screamo fan. His screams were less than desirable, and I just didn't enjoy their
Translating the Name (Death Do Us Part) EP one bit. But let me set one thing straight, this album is better than anything Anthony Green has ever touched. This album should have came out a long time ago with Green at the vocals, but let me tell you how happy I am that Cove Reber is the new lead singer. His voice is soothing, addicting, and so, so much better than Anthony Green.
It's hard to believe this is Saosin's first full-length album, as it seems they've been around forever. In 2003, the
Translating the Name (Death Do Us Part) turned screamo fans' heads, and their energetic live performances gained a gigantic fanbase; but at this point, Saosin hadn't even released a full-length album. But when Saosin did, they gained a loyal, die-hard fanbase that praised their every move, quite simply because their self-titled debut is that good. Even though Saosin has moved away from the screamo label, they've managed to stay within the emo sub-genre, which doesn't hurt my feelings one bit because they are truly best without the screaming.
The only problem with Saosin's self-titled debut is that you really don't want to over-praise it, because they could easily let you down with a follow-up. This is usually the problem with most debuts; as they are over-praised, then the follow up doesn't come anywhere near the debut's greatness. Well, I've got faith in Saosin, because this album is just that good. The song
You Are Not Alone would have been enough to keep me happy and content, but songs like
It's Far Better to Learn,
Voices, and
Follow and Feel make this album truly great. Not only that, the album is original, as the guitarist works his guitar well, often making unique, fast-paced Guitar Hero ready riffs while the drumming in the back is fantastic and makes the album feel almost metalcore in parts.
The album never really drags either, from the rockin' opener
It's Far Better to Learn, the album asserts itself with its massively catchy chorus and fast pace, and never lets up or even drags. And while most of the songs feature the same traditional song structure like
It's So Simple and
Voices, the songs all seem completely different from one another and are just amazingly catchy.
Voices is probably the album's hardest rocker, kicking off with a furious guitar riff, then into a slower verse before breaking out into a crazed, loud chorus where Reber tries his hardest to scream-and it works.
Outside of
You Are Not Alone, the album retains a prototypical quiet verse, loud chorus, quiet verse song structure. But the song that sticks out the most on this album is
You Are Not Alone, which is the most emotional, heart-felt ballad from Saosin. Its arguably one of my favorite songs of all time, and easily my favorite Saosin song. Kicking off with a mellow guitar riff, the song slows down into a lower verse where Reber sings lowly before it breaks into an emotional, epic, and catchy chorus that completely makes the song unforgettable.
But by the end, even though the songs are well varied, the songs seem all to alike. The songs start out with a hard-edged guitar riff before going into a slower verse and then into a loud chorus, and so on and so forth. While its only minor, its something Saosin needs to work on. The album is one of my favorites of 2006, never seems to bore, and it shows real promise. The album's guitar work, drumming, and vocal work is all excellent-and Saosin stands out in a rather bland and boring genre. Whether you're into emo or not, this album is a must-have for any rock fan.
DOWNLOAD:
It's Far Better to Learn
It's So Simple
Voices
You Are Not Alone
