Rough Edge: Saosin CD Reviews

SAOSIN

"In Search of Solid Ground" (Virgin; 2009)

Saosin have an alternative rock sound and they are part of the post-hardcore movement so you get cool guitar with unique vocals. Butch Walker of Marvelous 3 fame was one of the producers on this sophomore disc. Saosin have a forward sound but having their toes dipped in post-hardcore water doesn't allow them much creativity. The vocals are good, though, and when Cove sings and Chris screams you get that twisted combo everybody waits for when listening to this kind of music.

The guitar reminds me of Pressure 4-5 because it's got some grit to it and even though the solos are absent I can thumbs up the gitfiddle. The drums are strong and with the tough guitar the alternative side really comes forefront when they rock it. The lyrics are printed on the insert but too bad it's done in size two font. From what I gather they are all broken and have been for a long time; each song is a battle cry from a blog about relationships.

There are some pop-sounding songs on "In Search Of Solid Ground" but that would be the stuff that radio needs to give these Newport Beach, Californians a mention. The disc is 56:36 so there is a lot of music to interpret; they offer a couple of extra songs on iTunes and a Best Buy disc with some in-studio videos for those who want to go on a scavenger hunt for more Saosin.

Worth downloading: "Deep Down," "Why Can't You See," "Changing," "On My Own," and "Is This Real."

Saosin: Cove Reber - lead vocals; Beau Burchell - guitars/harmony vocals; Justin Shekoski - guitar/harmony vocals; Chris Sorenson - bass/keyboards/screaming vocals; Alex Rodriguez - drums/percussion.

For more information, check out http://www.saosin.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/saosin.

"Saosin" (Capitol; 2006)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Southern California quintet Saosin was highly touted as one of only a handful of bands to emerge from suburbia and save every maladjusted kid with its well-textured punk rock sound -- but that’s really hard to do when haven’t released anything since 2003.

Thanks to a departing lead singer and a well-maneuvered underground hermitage, the rapidly-ascending unit had to jam on the brakes rather abruptly and reshuffle the deck. Now it’s 2006, and their eponymous 12-track debut is the end result of this hardened journey, producing a Warped Tour-goer’s wet dream of a disc.

A glistening and pristine piece of post-hardcore, Saosin delivers an impressive array of intricately heartfelt rock anthems for the new generation (even if the devices employed by the quintet seem to run a bit too familiar these days and lead singer Colin Reber’s voice is a tad too high-pitched for most guy rockers to hone up to digging).

Songs like “It’s So Simple,” “Finding Home,” and “Collapse” showcases some of the most developed and dramatic rock this side of Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, Far, and Thursday, while “It’s Far Better to Learn” intellectualizes the pop-punk riff to a grad school level.

Falling somewhere between the rich sound recreations of Dredg and the uncanny contagiousness of New Found Glory, Saosin’s hiatus has rendered a grand comeback for a band who can now be considered a complete entity once again.

For more information, check out http://www.saosin.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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