26 October 2010

Sundried Truth, Underdog (2010): Album Review

I don’t know much about the band Sundried Truth except for 2 things: they hail from Madison, Wisconsin, and I am not their biggest fan. Their debut album, Underdog, feels so full of promise during the first title track. It’s both energetic and catchy, wails with raspy rock vocals, and the guitar work is especially impressive. But then…the second song begins. Entitled “My America,” it sounds like your loud, quintessential rock song. But then Pete Gargano starts singing, and the lyrics are truly forgettable and quite frankly, lousy. “Topless bars with those f***ing fast cars/that’s my America”—believe me, nothing wrong with either of those things, but how long did it take to write those lyrics? All of 5 minutes? Doesn’t fare much better with the next tune, “Walk Away,” either, where I started counting how many times they said “oh yeah” but simply lost count out of boredom. The worst offender? “House arrest just might be the best” on their tune entitled “House Arrest.” Shocking, right? The sad thing is, their music is really upbeat and enjoyable to listen to on a whole. It’s quite a thunderous, solid effort on the guitar and drums, with that underground rock vibe you could just chill and listen to while enjoying a beer with some friends. I might even be inspired to buy their music, if they either A) hired a new lyricist or B) had no vocals whatsoever. I don’t mean to be a complete DJ Downer, though, and the album isn’t entirely bad. “She’s Not Right” is a very catchy song, reminiscent of “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates infused with some heavy guitars and drums. And although it falters midway through when it becomes a little too loud for its own good, “Tonight” is a slower tune where --- seems to channel Jon Rhys Meyers in the film August Rush. I know this is only their first album, so Sundried Truth certainly has a long and promising career ahead of them. Their rock n roll formula is pitch-perfect, but they would be very wise to direct some focus at the lyrics if they wish to grow as artists.

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