EMO TO THE CORE: The songs on Saosin reach their explosive choruses a lot quicker than they might have a decade ago. |
Love second-wave emo but can’t make it to New York this weekend for either of Texas Is the Reason’s sold-out reunion shows at Irving Plaza? No worries: just spin this debut full-length by California’s Saosin — it reproduces that era’s soaringly melodic post-hardcore crunch just fine. Of course, the dudes in Saosin are products of a different age, and they live in a different world; there’s not much room on major-label debuts these days for arty experimentation, so the songs on Saosin reach their explosive choruses a lot quicker than they might have a decade ago. That’s no cause for complaint: “Voices,” this album’s excellent lead single, comes as close as emo gets to vintage pop-metal anthems like “Dr. Feelgood” and “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Credit in part producer Howard Benson, who in his work with Papa Roach and My Chemical Romance has demonstrated his knack for sweetening riff-rock guitars. It’s too bad original bassist Zach Kennedy quit Saosin a few years ago to join Ashlee Simpson’s band; he’d probably have dug his old act’s new stuff.
Saosin + Senses Fail + Drive By + Bleeding Through | Avalon, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston | November 24 | 617.228.6000
