Soundbites
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Socratic Remember when the radio actually mattered? Listeners were proud to sit through some Mariah Carey or a few car commercials if it meant just one more spin of Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life." Well, Socratic's Spread the Rumors is a lot like that. Unfortunately, even Socratic have their car commercial moments, but it's usually worth the wait for the next little gem around the corner. Spread the Rumors, produced by Mark Hoppus (of +44 and the now disbanded Blink 182), opens with the hooky first single "Boy In A Magazine," grabbing ears immediately. Production-wise, Rumors is only further proof of Hoppus's growing talent as a producer, giving each song just the right amount of tweak and headphone flourish, reminiscent of '90s headphone records like Third Eye Blind's Blue. Some of the hooks inspire a hint of annoyance after a few listens ("Constant Apology"), while others grow from simply tolerable to gently pleasing ("Long Distance Calls"), though mostly falling somewhere loosely in the middle. Many of the choruses suffer from a serious melodic condition known as "sameys," in which many individual choruses from many individual songs sound, well, the same. This is especially unfortunate in Socratic's case, given the potential of the verses, which one can't help but hope will naturally build into something much, much bigger (think Paul McCartney-sized hooks), but few follow through with this commitment. With several lyrical misses (nearly all of "Diamond In A World of Coal"), some underdeveloped arrangements, and, of course, the sameys, Socratic still put forth a good effort with an impressive collection of would-be 90s radio hits (something they should embrace even further next time around), perfect for giving your own unique version of "the finger" to today's radio landscapes. Get those sameys cleared up, and Socratic could very well surprise everyone — even radio. New Found Glory With 2006's Coming Home, New Found Glory fell somewhere in the middle of the cruel dichotomy of "career maturity." Despite the promising new direction, the album sold poorly and quickly faded into casualty status. With the Tip of the Iceberg EP, New Found Glory is blatantly taking a few steps back, though hopefully only nodding briefly at their past with storied experience. The presence of notably heavier, hardcore-inspired guitars and a quicker pace overall (the EP clocks in at around 12 minutes total) shouldn't surprise any true fan of the band, as guitarist and unofficial spokesman Chad Gilbert was properly baptized in these waters with his original role as vocalist in Shai Hulud. The three originals here, including the strong title track, seem to speak directly of Gilbert's recent split from Sherri DuPree (of pop darlings Eisley), after being married for less than a year. The refreshingly optimistic tones of peace and love filling the canvas on Coming Home are noticeably absent here, but the lyrical direction isn't entirely negative or even unwelcome. The remaining tracks are covers, with the Gorilla Biscuits' "No Reason Why" immediately taking stance as the strongest of the three. The solid Tip of the Iceberg appears to be a quick, fun dabble in the sandbox for New Found Glory; perhaps still simply enjoying their "free agents" status a bit after their split from longtime label Geffen in 2007. However, the band would do well to wisely leave the sandbox for their next full-length record, reportedly due later this year. The progressive territory covered and claimed on Coming Home shouldn't go forgotten by Gilbert and the rest of the band, as the further you step backwards in your career, the closer you come to eventually colliding with yourself. Ultimately, it's up to New Found Glory to get back Home. Trace William Cowen is a future Academy Award winning screenwriter who currently resides in Eastaboga, crafting words that will inspire a revolution of the mind. He is quite the Seinfeld aficionado and also writes reviews for www.drivenfaroff.com |
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