Let Go

Let Go (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

So this is the sound of an identity crisis. This is the sound of a band who really just does not know what sort of creative direction to take, what to do with vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, or just the whole entire composition of things. I'm not saying that Let Go ever would have been anything incredible, no, merely an enjoyable rock outfit with tightly crafted, intelligent songs.

That's just not what happened though, in the larger scheme of things. Let's get it right out of the way, this self-titled record isn't a bad one. Frustrating would be a more acute description. You see, Let Go are a band that are simply trying to be too much for their own good. One listen to the record's fifth track, "No Drugs, No Alcohol" tells the all too unfortunate story. This is a track that legitimately shows a band with a vision, and a wide variety of tools to implement into their songwriting. Not only is it the one track where the synth work does not appear in a wholly obnoxious and unnecessary context, but the upbeat, dancey rhythms
and soulful vocals are something completely unlike the rest of the album.

And by "rest of the album," I mean "run-of-the-mill pop-rock tunes with only slight variations."

It essentially boils down to just that, like the band spent all of their creative spirit in just that one track. There's some enjoyable segments before and after, such as the slow moving but heartfelt "Louise." They could have drawn out the chorus a bit less, but the track on its own succeeds rather well, as it achieves that happy medium between sappy bullshit and a decent level of emotion. The problem here though, as with many of the other songs, is that repeated listens are going to get you real sick and tired of the songs, especially the overbearing and unnecessary synth inclusion. Equally unnecessary are the amount of effects put on Jaime Woolford's voice. For the amount of time it's clearly just him singing, it's quite evident that the man has all the tools he needs to be an effective singer. But a lot of what's done to his voice in parts makes him and the song sound worse for the wear.

I think that the general theme of this record is missed opportunity. The middling guitar work, overpowering drums, obnoxious synths, and just general vocal tampering all gang up to pull this album right down to the bottom of the sea.