Army Of Me - "citizen"
It's hard to believe this is the debut album from Army Of Me. Not so much because of how good it is, although it is a good album, but more so because I've heard the band name so much over the last year I assumed they had an album out. But no, this band developed a reputation by relentlessly touring the east coast, and back in 2005 were named by Alternative Press magazine one of the top unsigned bands in America. So does their debut album, "citizen", live up to the hype? Well, I don't know that this is an easy yes or no question. Did I enjoy the album? Yes. Do I think they are good? Yes. Do I think there are other unsigned bands more deserving of being named by AP mag? Probably. That said, Army Of Me write catchy mid-tempo "indie-pop", with the occasional more upbeat, but still mainstream accessible song. Their music could easily cross from college radio, to alternative radio, straight over into mainstream pop, as they straddle that fine line between the genres. They use a lot of harmony vocals to great effect on the CD, however their website only lists one vocalist. Also interesting is that I can clearly hear bass all over the album, but again, the website does not list a bassist, so I'm not sure how these songs would sound live. But on "citizen" the songs work, especially when they get more upbeat. The standout track to me is, "how long", which rocks a bit more then most of the album, and has a catchy riff throughout. Ultimately, if you like bands like Toad The Wet Sprocket, that write heartfelt mid-tempo pop rock that eventually finds it's way to pop radio, this is the album for you.
www.armyofmeonline.com
It's hard to believe this is the debut album from Army Of Me. Not so much because of how good it is, although it is a good album, but more so because I've heard the band name so much over the last year I assumed they had an album out. But no, this band developed a reputation by relentlessly touring the east coast, and back in 2005 were named by Alternative Press magazine one of the top unsigned bands in America. So does their debut album, "citizen", live up to the hype? Well, I don't know that this is an easy yes or no question. Did I enjoy the album? Yes. Do I think they are good? Yes. Do I think there are other unsigned bands more deserving of being named by AP mag? Probably. That said, Army Of Me write catchy mid-tempo "indie-pop", with the occasional more upbeat, but still mainstream accessible song. Their music could easily cross from college radio, to alternative radio, straight over into mainstream pop, as they straddle that fine line between the genres. They use a lot of harmony vocals to great effect on the CD, however their website only lists one vocalist. Also interesting is that I can clearly hear bass all over the album, but again, the website does not list a bassist, so I'm not sure how these songs would sound live. But on "citizen" the songs work, especially when they get more upbeat. The standout track to me is, "how long", which rocks a bit more then most of the album, and has a catchy riff throughout. Ultimately, if you like bands like Toad The Wet Sprocket, that write heartfelt mid-tempo pop rock that eventually finds it's way to pop radio, this is the album for you.
www.armyofmeonline.com