After putting out “Poised To Break” a couple years back, it quickly gained Sunday’s Best, a relatively unknown band to that point a lot of attention. It landed on tons of year end top ten lists (mine included), and rightfully so. It was a sometimes subtle, though always catchy pop rock record that also fit well into the oh-so-marketable emo category. Then they hit a period of Behind The Music style band killing hardships.
One founding member, and songwriter leaves to join The Jealous Sound. Another gets divorced, and ends up in rehab. What next? Break up, purchase suits, and get real jobs? Go the Jimmy Eat World route, and pump out an ultra marketable, major label cheese bomb? Nope. Instead they regroup, recruit a new member, leave rehab, and record what is easily their best record to date.
“The Californian” is an obvious departure from “Poised To Break”, though it is also a bar-raising, career defining sort of departure. The songs are more subtle this time around, though it’s just as catchy. It’s just that you have to listen to each song a few more times before they’re stuck in your head. It’s all but impossible to pin any sort of “emo-core” tag on these boys this time around. Maybe that was the intention, but I would guess they don’t really care either way. The songs are generally pretty slow, but they’re roll down the windows and enjoy the sunny day slow. The highlights here are a bit less obvious right off the bat, though there are a number of them. The first tracks to pop out are the unforgettable near-ballad “Beethoven St.”, and slightly more rocking “Our Left Coast Ambitions”. But “The Salt Mines Of Santa Monica” is also not far behind. The whole record though is well thought out as a whole, with each song in just the right spot on the record. So there it is. I’m fucking gushing, but I can’t help it. This record has been a bit of an addiction for me since I got it weeks ago.
This will floor the Matador Records, big collared shirt crowd, and the younger pop rock crowd all at the same time… Outstanding.
Review provided by >
Stuart Anderson, Editor
New Scheme Magazine
PO Box 19873
Boulder, CO 80308
stuart@thenewscheme.com
303-444-5155
www.thenewscheme.com
