Do any of you know exactly what a sea urchin looks like? They're real pointy bastards who make their homes on the sea floor, and who will make their presence known if you have the misfortune of stepping on one of them, as my cousin did a few years back. The spines are pretty tricky to get out, and can be quite painful, but as much harm as they cause, they're actually very fascinating animals. They may be a site to look at, but how exactly do they sound? Apparently like an alt-rock band with serious pop sensibilities.

That description is probably going to turn more people away than actually get them to listen to this record, but it can be really enjoyable in spots. Tracks like "White Dove" allow the band to explore the more upbeat, rocking side of their personality, simple as the song structures may be. The song carries a fast-talking, percussion-heavy beat, with the lead singer yelling above it all. The sound works well, especially when contrasted with almost-new wave-sounding efforts such as "Police Helicopters Over Brooklyn," which showcases a xylophone and Casio keyboard against fuzzy electroclash guitars. Definitely one of the more fun tracks on the album, especially to sing the chorus of "I gotta find a reason, to make it through this season / Summer's in the air, and it's hotter than it's ever been."

"The Jack-O-Lantern" puts a more traditional rock sound at the forefront, but with some very poppish vocals accenting the chorus before some solid riffing is brought into the bridge. I don't know that I can quite put my finger on just what element makes some of these songs so fun, but regardless, the entire album is well put together, and the only hint at the flow being interrupted comes from the almost comically distorted vocals in "There Are People In The Clouds." The effects and distortion on this album really need to be saved for the guitars, such as on "Bomb Me," which incorporates the gang vocals of old-school hardcore with a raw punk guitar sound.

The album doesn't stay on one distinct sound for long though, as "Blown Away" brings back the light, airy pop vocals and a much more relaxed guitar sound. The vocals being as they are here, however, exposes one of the album's potential downfalls, which is the writing style of the lyrics. Written in jest or not, some of the lines in "Blown Away" just don't sit well with me;

You've come here for my breakfast, you come here for my toast / Now the lump is in your throat, and what is so damn pressing? / And what is so damn wrote, I think I got the answer and I think I gotto go.

Minor issues like that aside, this album, between its punk leanings and pop sensibility, stands to be an enjoyable one. The album isn't going to make a creative or groundbreaking niche anywhere, but the potential to be a fun album is definitely there. Sea Urchins are in fact harsh, vengeful bastards, but the sounds they can put into recording just may offset their bad name.