Saosin – Self Titled

Over the past few years, Saosin have been making a giant buzz around them. With two EPs under their belt, the band had the underground in the palm of their hand – particularly the emo scene. They were selling out shows all over the place, all without even releasing a full length yet; which is pretty impressive. I, on the other hand, never understood why, I couldn’t see their appeal. I’ve listened to most EPs multiple times and always come out fairly bored, so their self-titled debut didn’t really excite me the way it tickled most people’s fancy. And really, I’m still faced with the same conundrum: how are these guys so big?

I can only call the album generic emo rock. There is nothing on the album that makes it stick out in anyway or form. The songs mold together for one repetitive sound, and it’s so incredibly over-produced you could metaphorically slide across it, it’s just that slick. This overproduction makes the album become monotonous very soon. It may be chock full of strong guitar harmonies, but they all become too convoluted and you can’t help but feel ripped off by the generic nature of the album. And once again I ask myself, “how are they so big?”

Of course, the biggest question the band faced was completely different. Instead, they had to figure out what they were going to do with the departure of vocalist Anthony Green. Since I’ve never really been able to appreciated his work, I can’t say I was sad to see him go. As for the new vocalist (Cove Reber) though, he seems to have stepped up to the plate fairly well. He doesn’t have quite as big a reach as Green did, but he follows in his footsteps quite well and is quite strong in his own right. His vocals are able to float seamlessly over the harmonies, but he still falls victim to the generic emo vibe. He’s very strong, but nothing that makes him standout in the crowd.

And sadly, that’s what happens throughout the entire CD. It’s okay, the musicianship is most definitely there; but at the end of the day, it is bland. Saosin fail to give the listener anything memorable to grab onto. I will, however, give them credit where credit’s due and say that You’re Not Alone is a spectacular song and a song I’ve played multiple times over the past hour. It’s sure to become a fan favorite with it’s soaring melodies and heart tucking pull. Reber uses his vocals in the best way possible and pulls the listener in completely as he croons “you’re not alone / there’s more to this I know / you can make it out / you will live to tell” – and well, unlike the rest of the album, the song is great.