Saosin

Translating The Name (2003)

Scott Heisel

About six months ago, I reviewed And Don't Forget To Breathe, the debut album by A Static Lullaby. Comparisons to both Finch and Glassjaw were rampant in said review, and all were completely warranted - A Static Lullaby were just lifting their sound, and not trying to elaborate on it in any way [except going even poppier at times to secure that all-important major label record deal]. I gave the CD 3 stars, but since then it's rarely seen the inside of my CD player [and will probably be visiting half.com sometime very soon].

With that being said, if you like Finch and Glassjaw, you'll love Saosin. But here's the thing - Saosin, unlike their contemporaries, aren't just pilfering chugga chugga riffs coupled with ridiculously studio-magicked harmonies to make a quick buck. Saosin is taking the melodic emo-core sound revolutionized by Glassjaw and popularized by Finch and is expanding even further on it.

So in short, this EP is fantastic.

The vocals, reminiscent of Glassjaw's Darly Palumbo in their range [and overall ability to keep the listener's attention] are placed just right in the mix, really getting your blood pumping. The music is nothing short of astonishing considering how young this band is. "3rd Measurement In C" leaps out of your stereo with it's insanely catchy vocal hook of "Don't say I'm the one you want to lose," whereas "Lost Symphonies" shows the singer's incredible vocal ability [again, similiar to Daryl Palumbo].

Damn, I knew I'd fuck this review up. To the average reader, it probably just sounds like I'm saying this is is just another Glassjaw/Finch clone, but there's so much more to this EP than that. Please check this band out, I am really urging you to do so. Lack of eloquency on my part should not diminish lack of interest on yours.

MP3
Seven Years