Search - Saosin :: In Search of Solid Ground

Not as good as the S/T, but it's the "sophomore slump" syndr

Richard Lorenz | Los Angeles | 09/10/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a preface, I am a huge fan of Saosin's self-titled album of 2006. It's a staple in my car and on my .mp3 player.



In short, this album falls short of the legacy Saosin started with their '06 debut full-length. It's still a solid album, but it lacks a certain sting that its predecessor had. Many of the melodic breakdowns and screaming guitars I loved from that album are largely missing.



It's not all bad. Much of the signature sound of Saosin is still here; you won't mistake this album for any other band. The drumming is very entertaining, and intricate enough to appease my technical tastes. I still think that he can do better (and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition), but Alex does a great job. The album, on the whole, flows very nicely. I recommend listening to it in order for at least the first few pass-throughs. The beginning of the album is a bit weighted compared to the latter half, but if you listen to it sequentially, the album ends up coming together decently.



In summary, if you enjoyed Saosin's signature sound from their self-titled, pick this up. It's a solid album, but not the breakout hit I was hoping for. I guess the best way to describe it is that it's a bit to "pop"-y for my tastes. They've abandoned some of their hardcore roots in favor of a softer feel.



Favorites include: Deep Down, Why Can't You See, and Is This Real.



UPDATE: I've had this CD in my rotation for a few weeks now, and I have to say that it HAS grown on me. It's a very good album, all in all. Its flaws are still apparent, and it still seems too soft, but I can say that this is still worth picking up. What came to mind for me is Linkin Park's recent album; whereas LP basically destroyed what they had built over their past few albums with the new Minutes to Midnight disc and turned into a very bland soft rock band with little to no display of talent, Saosin has merely tweaked their sound on the new album. It's not so far a departure that it's doubtful they will get back to their roots, as LP did. Here's hoping the next album 1) is heavier and has more hardcore elements to it, and 2) doesn't take 3 years to make. Cheers!"

In Search of Solid Ground...

Salio SC | In the East, USA | 09/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...a little on the different side compared to the s/t, but that wasn't really a bad thing at all. The CD still has that Saosin sound from their s/t but just a more mature overall feel to it. It's been a long 3 year wait but it's well worth it...check it out, stand out tracks IMO are: Deep Down, On My Own, Say Goodbye, The Worst Of Me, Nothing Is What It Seems (Without You), & Fireflies (Light Messengers)."

Not too much of a sophmore slump

Justin R. Michaelson | bremerton,wa | 04/21/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the 2nd full length disc by saosin. It rocks! It is way more diverse than the self titled disc. Highly recommended."