Self Against City

Telling Secrets To Strangers

Written by: TL on 08/03/2007 23:58:25

After having created the usual stir in the purevolume and myspace communities and running their lineup through the revolving doors more than a little bit, California power-pop fivepiece Self Against City finally released their debut full length "Telling Secrets To Strangers" through Drive-Thru records early this year. It's not exactly a shock when you first listen to this band, as their sound is pretty much a perfect picture of the hottest trend on especially purevolume these days. Bright pseudo-catchy guitarhooks and powerchords breathe life into the radio-friendly anthemic compositions, while an emo-ish vocal delivers reflective catch-phrases. Now I hate making it sound so generic but there just doesn't seem to be any way around it.

It's almost too obvious how songs like "Becoming A Monster", "Tequila Moonlight" and "Ready And Willing" are meant to be carrying the bands banner towards the soft-emo-hungry masses with all the appropriate woah-woah refrains and all the lines about boys and girls, and even more when you consider all the lacks. The all to classical lack of substanse, lack of spirit, lack of convincing delivery, lack of edge and the overall lack of real character, are features that are becoming old very fast, and it doesn't seem like the stream of bands willing to create such compromising soundscapes is going to have an end anytime soon.

Being totally honest it's not that "Tequila Moonlight" and "Ready And Willing" aren't okay tracks, but I'm finding it increasingly hard to tell you that they're 'awesome' or that they'll stick to your head for more than say.. a couple of weeks. "Telling Secrets To Strangers" has got the sweetness and the charms, but it has nothing you haven't heard before in a prettier, stronger and more original packet. It's not a horribly bad record, but it's a record bound to drown in the vast sea of similar and likely more interesting records flooding the market these days.

4

Download: Becoming A Monster, Ready And Willing, Tequila Sunrise
For the fans of: Boys Like Girls, Cute Is What We Aim For, Houston Calls, Socratic,
Listen: MySpace

Release Date 09.01.2007
Drive-Thru Records

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