Bosio

This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

With Fall Out Boy essentially having the pop-punk market completely cornered leaving little breathing room for any other upstarts, Milwaukee's Bosio are putting their own brand of melody-infused rock out there and hoping for the best. A mis-matching of musicians assembled from the shambles of such bands as Samsara and Forever is Forgotten, the four-piece works fairly well together in an attempt to make some compelling, catchy music.

In a genre that scorns creativity and praises limitations, Bosio at least make the attempt to break out of that mold with some fairly adventurous musicianship and ever-changing dynamics. The whole three-chord stereotype is something that does not apply to Bosio, whose bouncy rhythms do a fairly solid job of keeping things fresh. And with only three songs to put their creative outlet into the ring, they're hoping to catch attention immediately. Singer/guitarist Jeff Meilander has a solid voice capable of carrying these songs, albeit not overly challenging ones, into something better. Guitarist Andy Silverman's riffs and rhythms don't exactly challenge a potential listener, but for what he's playing, a fine job is done of it. Where the band hits a creative wall is the track "Bullet Holes the Size of Matzah Balls." Not only did they seemingly raid Fall Out Boy's trademarked random song name generator, but the screams at the end lack conviction and reek of Senses Fail. The band would be much better suited if they stuck to writing pop-rock tunes, because by that token, they know just what they're doing. At least, moreso than dabbling with a little bit of hardcore that doesn't fit with the flow or style of their music.

If the band would just not attempt to be anything but what they are, a pop-punk band, they're liable to do fairly well in that market. The songs on This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things are pretty forgettable overall, save some good harmonies and underlying melodic guitar work. They're sound, but at this point they're just not much else.