Fans have been patiently waiting for Saosin's 3rd album, and the return of original vocalist Anthony Green. Well, the album's here, and suffice to say, the wait was worth it.
To buy "Along the Shadow" on iTunes click the following (link).
Tt may have taken 13 or so years, but the reunion everyone has been waiting for has come. The return of Anthony Green was long in the making. It's like Saosin just picked up where they left off before Green decided to go his separate way. But with the added bonus of 13 more years of experience, and Green's polished style that he crafted while in Circa Survive.
Green's voice offers more than Reber's. Green's smooth delivery allows songs to flow with ease from verse to verse to chorus. And his screams, something we haven't heard in a long while, carry more substance. They sound like genuine cries of anguish and emotion. Vocals combined with the band's refined sound makes for a more mature listen. A nice alternative to the new wave of "hardcore" that has come in the form of Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil and others. Lyrics are well crafted, and rarely dip into genre cliches.
The album's opening track needs no introduction. Click this (link) for our full review of "The Silver String". But the following track, "Ideology is Theft" shouldn't be overlooked either. The track is a perfect balance between Saosin's heavy influences, and Green's brand of melodic hardcore. The chorus of "Ideology" in particular is a standout. The layering of Green's vocals and the quick lead guitar line from Beau Burchell, it's just perfection. And we've really missed that back and forth between the two.
Click this (link) for our full review of "Racing Toward A Red Light". Breaking up the album, "Second Guesses" gives us something different but no less welcomed. There's something about this particular track that has a sort of pop punk ring to it. Maybe it's the guitar melody, or the lighter atmosphere. But this is a definite must listen to. Saosin dips heavily into Green's work with Circa Survive, as this track could have easily been ripped from one of their albums. The track dances the line of mainstream rock and alt. rock. Either way, we wouldn't be too surprised to hear it on the radio in the future.
"Second Guesses" is followed in spirit by "The Stutter Says A Lot". It's another slower, more rock oriented song. "Sore Distress" is another one of the record's songs that seems to pull from Circa Survive's discography. That in itself is a plus and minus. While we appreciate Saosin incorporating some of Green's previous work into their new sound, we'd also like them to distinguish themselves from Circa. Of course everything sounds phenomenal, so who are we to complain.
Summary -
An album that's equal parts for old fans, and for a new generation of listeners. They're back and better than ever. The perfect balance between melodic hardcore and alternative rock, Green's unclean vocals are like a long lost memory. And we keep replaying it over and over. This record comes highly recommended for fans of Hands Like Houses (whose album "Dissonants" would be the perfect listening companion to this record), The Color Morale and SECRETS, just to name a few. We're definitely going to put this on our Top 10 Album of 2016.
Recommended Tracks -
Hard as it is to pick, aside from the singles we'd recommend you listen to "Ideology is Theft", "Second Guesses" "Illusion & Control" and "Drinking From The Fountain" (off the deluxe edition of the album)
Rating - 8.5 to 9